Daddy Snape
by Antigonesev
Summary: Severus's life is turned upside down by the Adoption Act passed by the Ministry. An answer to the Adoption challenge over at WIKTT. Trouble ensues, thanks to the antics of the children of the staff at Hogwarts. SSHG, ADMM.
1. Potionsmaster, Spy, Father?

A/N: this is an answer to the Adoption Act Challenge over at WIKTT. I don't know how long this is going to be, but bear with me please.. thanks! :-)  
  
Severus Snape scowled down at the parchment, which listed his appointment time with the agency. Today at eleven o' clock in the monring, he would become a father. He was clearly not looking forward to it, but he and a group of others from the Ministry and Hogwarts were scheduled to go to St. Merlin's Home For Wizarding Children for their adoptions. Severus was on time, as usual, waiting in front of the gates alongside Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin.  
  
"This way, ladies and gentlemen." a small, elfin woman said as she unlocked the gates and ushered in the small group of witches and wizards. "The children are awaiting you in the playroom. If you find something that pleases you, inform us and we will take care of the paperwork."  
  
Severus scowled down at the woman, who took a few nervous steps away from him, eyeing his dark clothes with a glint of fear in her eyes. As the double doors to the playroom opened, Severus's eyes widened and his mouth contorted in a sour frown. Children were everywhere, didn't the world ever run out of those brats? His eyes scanned over the throng of children, watching Minerva approach a quiet small girl with a stack of books at her side. Remus was quietly conversing with a boy wearing ragged robes, sitting on a bench in a far corner. Severus looked over the children in the room with a frown of distaste curling down the ends of his   
  
mouth.   
  
"Don't scowl, Severus, it's unbecoming of you." Minerva McGonagall said as she held the hand of the girl she was conversing with. "You'll scare off the children."  
  
"Isn't that the point?" Severus whispered mainly to himself in a dry tone. Minerva harrumphed and shook her head gently at the potions-master. Severus watched Minerva converse with the elfin woman, clearly Minerva had found a child. As well as Remus, Severus thought dryly as the little boy was swung up into Remus's arms, a beaming smile on his face. Severus sighed, knowing he had to make his decision. He did not like being rushed into decisions...although, there might be something here, Severus thought as his eyes caught a boy with long hair sitting in the corner, nearly obscured by shadows. He could see many scars on the boy's arms, as well as a dark purple scar on his temple, from a burn sustained not too long ago.   
  
"Who's that?" Severus whispered to the elfin woman, startling her with his quiet presence. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, he still hadn't lost his skill. The woman glanced at the boy in the corner, shaking her head.   
  
"Sir, I suggest you choose someone else. The boy.. he's trouble. You don't want him. He's a mudblood." Severus's eyes turned icy cold at the term, his mind's eye recalling the brown frizz of Hermione Granger's hair covering her tear-stained face as the Malfoy boy called her mudblood.   
  
"I will take him." Severus said coldly, looking down his nose at the elfin woman, who was pratically trembling in her robes. "The name is Snape, Severus Salazar Snape."  
  
"Very well, Mr. Snape." The elfin woman whispered quietly as she beckoned for the boy to approach them. The boy remained still, refusing to move out of the shadows. The Elfin woman sighed, shaking her head. "If you can haul him out, he's yours." the woman said, taking a scroll of parchment out of a drawer in a nearby desk. "Just sign here, and the boy is yours."  
  
"What's his name?" Severus asked as he held the quill just above the parchemnt, pausing before he signed his name. The woman shrugged.   
  
"Came here screaming himself hoarse. He hasn't spoken since, not even to reveal his own name. Name him yourself." The woman said with a sharp sniff. Severus's mouth twitched as he signed the parchment. A muscle worked in his jaw as he set eyes on the boy, knowing that by adopting the boy, this was a form of redemption for all of his sins as a Death Eater. 


	2. Questions for Miss Granger

A/N: thanks for the reviews, guys :-) Appreciate it! now, on with the story.. Don't worry, it gets better later, this is just the groundwork, I suppose...  
  
Severus sighed, collapsing into a chair. The boy was finally asleep in a bed, blankets swaddled around him like a protective shell. The boy had refused to allow Severus to touch him, and refused to meet his eye. Something wasn't right about the child, Severus thought with a frown as he peered into the boy's room from his seated posistion in his comfy chair. He recalled the elfin woman's statement that the boy was trouble. The boy seemed not to be trouble, only a troubled boy.   
  
"What the hell am I doing?" Severus muttered to himself as he took out the parchment which held his guardianship rights to the boy. He stared at the blank spot where the boy's name should be. He had tried to ask the boy his name, but the boy had only remained silent and sullen, refusing to sit still or eat his meal. Though, he did seem drawn to his house elf, Snippy.   
  
"What's your name, boy?" Severus whispered as he put down the parchment and stood in the doorway of the boy's room, watching the boy sleep peacefully. The boy couldn't be more than seven years old. His long black hair was fanned around his face, mussed in sleep. His small, scarred arms jerked convulsively in sleep, making odd patterns in the air.   
  
The boy suddenly gasped, crying out and jerking his hands and fingers in odd patterns, making odd, whimpering noises that sounded almost like he was trying to cry out a name. Severus stood by, not knowing what to do for the boy. Slowly, as if nothing had happened, the boy's muscles relaxed, and the boy went slack, falling back on the bed, returning to his state of deep sleep.   
  
He should find Poppy. Poppy would know what to do, Severus mused as he headed over to the fireplace to Floo Poppy. Instead, he found the insufferable know-it-All, Miss Granger, who had recently been hired as the castle's daycare witch. Very well, he couldn't hesistate in the case of his child.   
  
"Miss Granger, I require your immediate presence, there is a situation with my boy." Severus remarked coldly, his eyes studying the deep brown of Miss Granger's as she nodded eagerly, stepping into the fireplace, into his rooms.   
  
"Where's your son?" Hermione whispered, looking around as Severus guided her to the doorway.   
  
"He cries out in his sleep, but refuses to speak to me. Why? He won't look me into the eye. He ignores everything I say." Severus remarked in an irritated tone. "He doesn't seem to be a troublemaker, only to be a troubled boy." Severus remarked as Hermione stood by his side, watching the boy's arms moving lanquidly in sleep.   
  
"I've seen something like this before." Hermione said after a long pause. "I will need to do more research first. Could you tell me more about him, Professor? everything you know. Did they do an exam on him upon arrival?"  
  
"Questions, Miss Granger.." Severus replied with a sigh as he sat down in his chair, with Hermione across from him, her eyes meeting his inquistively. "First of all, I know nothing about him. They did not do an exam upon his arrival, he refused to allow anyone near him. He refuses to speak, does not maintain eye contact, nor make any awkenoldgement to any of my questions."  
  
"I see." Hermione said with a nod. "I think I do have an answer to your problem, but I will need to see him in the morning. What is his name?"  
  
"I don't have one. He refused to give a name." Severus said with a frown. Hermione shook her head with a sigh.   
  
"Very well. Fetch me when he wakes up." Hermione said with a gentle smile. "I will bring Holly along, maybe that would help."   
  
"You got a brat?" Severus said, his eyes wide.   
  
"No, I got a daughter. A very sweet girl, five years old. Her name is Holly Minerva." Hermione replied smoothly as she rose from her seat. "Holly and I will see you tomorrow morning. Good night, Professor." Hermione said softly, a smile on her lips. "You will make a good father, Severus." Hermione added as an afterthought as she stepped into the fire, Severus staring after her, taken aback at her parting words.   
  
"I, a wonderful father? that will be the day." Severus snorted with a shake of his head, but smiled at Miss Granger's comment as he headed to bed, hoping that tomorrow would bring a name for the boy. 


	3. Waking up the Dead

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone :-) I'm awful with names, so forgive me for not giving you individual praise.. but you know who you are! :-)  
  
Severus sat up straight in bed at the sound of the crash. Immediately rushing to where the crash had occurred, finding Snippy cleaning up a thick goeey mess that had exploded. The boy was lying on the couch, asleep. Clearly, he had walked in his sleep and somehow ended up on the couch.  
  
"Snippy, couldn't you be more careful?" Severus snapped. "You could have woken up the dead with that racket." Severus paused, doing a double take at the boy, who remained in a deep sleep. His eyes flickering to the mess Snippy had cleaned up. The wheels clicking in his head, he turned his head at the sound of the fireplace crackling, announcing Hermione's arrival with her little girl.   
  
"Sorry I was late, Professor, but Holly insisted on having her hair up into a ponytail." Hermione said with a smile, but the smile faded upon the notice of the thoughtful expression on Severus's face. "Holly, go sit quietly for a moment. I need to work with Professor Snape." Holly nodded, her deep brown ponytail bouncing with energy, and took a seat in Severus's plush armchair, her hazel eyes focused on the boy lying on the couch.   
  
"I think I might have a theory." Severus said quietly, as Hermione stood nearby, watching the boy. "I was rudely awakened by my house elf, and found the boy lying here.. undisturbed."  
  
"I think I know what you are thinking, Severus, but let me run a test first." Hermione said quietly, taking one of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' noisemakers out of her pocket. "Cover your ears, Holly, you too, Professor." Hermione said as she slipped on a pair of earmuffs she had transfigured out of a cushion. The noisemaker exploded in midair, and the boy remained silent, the only movement from him a small snort, a small twich of his hands occasionally.   
  
"That solves my theory." hermione said with a smile. "Let me run a diagnostic test on him and we'll have a solution to our problem." Hermione said with a flick of her wand, the boy's ears glowed a sickly grey. "Just what I thought. Severus, your son is deaf."  
  
"Deaf? But how could they have missed that?"  
  
"It's the invisible handicap. I had a neighbor who was deaf. He moved his hands like that, to speak. I think your son talks in his sleep." At that, a laugh emerged from Severus's chest.   
  
"Talks in his sleep? Hilarious." Severus said, his eyes fastened on the boy. "So, what shall I do now?"  
  
"Let me get a book, I will be right back immediately." Hermione said with a smile on her lips. "I can't remember any of the signs he taught me, but I know we can talk with him. You'll get a name out of him yet, Professor." Hermione said with a smile on her lips as she left Severus alone in the room with two children. Severus looked down his nose at Holly, who looked up at him with a bright smile on her lips. Severus prayed for Hermione to hurry.  
  
Fortunately for Severus, Hermione returned in a rush, a small stack of books in her arms. Laying the books neatly near her, she faced the boy, gently clutching his shoulders to make sure he was facing her. Hermione then opened the book, glancing at it and then moving her hands ever so slowly.   
  
The boy's eyes glinted, and he nodded, moving his hands quickly. Hermione shook her head, and smiled.   
  
"Slow down!" Hermione said with a laugh, and looking through the book before moving her hands again. The boy slowly moved his hand in odd shapes, pausing in between each shape for Hermione.   
  
"What, what is this?" Severus asked, a scowl on his face as he watched the interplay between Hermione and the boy. "How ...."  
  
"This is sign language, Severus. I think he was raised to use this method of communication." Hermione said as she continued to focus on the boy, moving her hands at a painstakingly slow rate. The boy's face had an intense concentration, his dark eyes focused entirely on Hermione. Severus stood there, watching the interplay.   
  
"Couldn't you just take care of him or something? I'm busy, I couldn't waste my time doing this if it takes so long to talk to him."  
  
"I'm slow because I just learned this. With time, Professor, you could become as fluent as he is. It would only take a flick of the wrist to communicate an entire conversation. Just like you do with that eyebrow."  
  
"Wait, wait, don't bring my eyebrow-raising into this." Severus said roughly, stiffening his stance. A slow breath escaped him. "I suppose i do have a responsibility to the boy to learn this... sign language. How long would it take me to be fluent in this?"  
  
"It depends, some people take to it well, and pick it up in a measure of days, even weeks. Some people, it takes them years." Hermione said with a sigh as Holly hunkered down next to her, moving her hands as she studied the book. "I got some sign language manuals from the library, and some books such as the Deaf Wizard's Guide to Magic. I think you will learn quite a lot." Hermione said with a smile as she stood up, leaving Holly crouched on the ground, communicating with the boy through her gestures.   
  
"I see. Miss Granger." Severus said, casting a wary eye at the stack of books. Hermione shook her head.   
  
"I will be back at dinner, do you think you can last this long?" Hermione asked, arching her eyebrow. Severus took a breath, his eyes fastened on the boy.   
  
"I could. I have the books to help if I need anything." Severus said with a sigh. "If I could take on Voldemort, I can master this." Severus said partially to himself. Hermione laguhed, shaking her head gently as she leaned down to pick up Holly in her arms. "We will be back by dinner."   
  
"I will be counting the hours." Severus said with a sigh, glancing down at the boy. "Wait... what's his name?" Severus asked, turning to grab at Hermione. It was too late, she had disappeared into a puff of smoke through the floo network. Damn.   
  
"What's your name?" Severus asked, glancing down his nose at the boy and picking up the book, flipping through it warily. Inside were moving pictures of wizards and witches moving their hands in odd gestures, with words underneath. Severus quickly flipped to a picture of a wizard moving the first two fingers of both hands up and down on each other.  
  
"Name." Severus whispered. "I can do this. Name." Severus whispered as he mimicked the wizard's movements.   
  
"Name?" Severus whispered, moving his hands to the boy. The look the boy gave Severus was priceless. He had never been the reciepent of such a look. It was filled with trust, vulnerability, fear, and a myriad of other emotions. The boy moved his hands quickly, and Severus moaned. He frowned, and held up the book to the page with the manual alphabet, he could tell the boy was spelling out his name.   
  
"Let's see... " The book was grabbed out of Severus's hands by the boy, the boy pointing to several letters, spelling out his name. "S....oh, wonderful." Severus said with a sigh five minutes later.   
  
The boy's name was Sirius James. Severus Snape nearly wept.  
  
A./N: Deaf people can talk in their sleep.. I've seen it happen. I don't know how or why, but it happens. 


	4. Cats and Broomsticks

A/N: Electroyne (sp?) thanks for the feedback! :-) and all of the other readers/reviewers, THANK YOU!! cheers   
  
Severus sat there, his head in his hands. Why, why did the fates see to his adopting a boy named Sirius James, the name of his two most hated enemies, which were now dead? With a sigh, Severus made an effort to look up, the room was just... too .. quiet.   
  
"Damn." Severus scowled, looking around and keeping an ear out for his boy. Hurriedly picking up a sign language text, he began his hunt for the boy, but his quarters turned up empty. He must have snuck off somewhere, perhaps in search of Hermione.   
  
"When did I start calling her Hermione?" Severus thought, startled, shaking his head, his mind flashing back to the moment he had learned about her presence at Hogwarts....  
  
"What! they need special rooms for those brats?" Severus said with a scowl on his face. "Well, at least they'll be out of my way."   
  
"Severus, do try to be more pleasant. After all, you will be a father soon." Albus Dumbledore said, with a weary shake of his head.   
  
"I pity the boy." Severus said smoothly, rising from his seat. "If that is all, Headmaster...?"  
  
"Go, just... go." Albus said, waving away Severus. It was apparent that Severus had caused another one of Albus's headaches. A smug smile on his face, Severus turned to leave the Headmaster's office, only to come face to face with a petite woman with curly brown hair and a stubborn glint in her eye. Oh, Merlin, that only could mean...  
  
"Miss Granger!" Severus exclaimed, his eyes wide. Miss Granger looked up at him with a small smile of greeting.   
  
"Professor Snape, how nice to see you again." the girl said, one of her insufferable smiles on her face, her eyes glinting. Why that girl just had to be pleasant to him all the time, he just didn't know. "Albus has just hired my expertise as an caretaker for the children of the professors here at Hogwarts. I daresay I will have my work cut out for me here, what with Professor Lupin's son and Professor McGonagall's little girl. She's the sweetest, but little Mr. Lupin really can..." The petite woman said with a small, suffering sigh.   
  
"I pity you." Severus said with a good dose of sarcasm dripping from his voice as he swept away out of the room, leaving a startled woman in his wake. Those eyes just unsettled him, Severus thought with a shake of his head. At least he didn't have a brat.... yet.  
  
A loud yowl from a cat brought Severus to the present. Following the poor cat's yowling, he found Mrs. Norris yowling madly at the crouched figure of Severus's little boy. The boy had somehow caught ahold of a wand, and was waving it around, intrest and concentration sparkling in his eyes.   
  
"NO! Put that down!" Severus shouted, shaking his head at the sudden reallment that the boy couldn't hear him. Furiously flipping through the damned book, finding the proper words to tell the boy to cease his mischief.  
  
"Put.... That...Wand... Down... Immediately." Severus spoke to himself as he threw the book down in a hurry, moving into the boy's line of vision, moving his hands in the motions he had learned. The boy turned, startled, and dropped the wand as if he had been burned. His eyes wide, he turned to run. Severus scowled, chasing after the insufferable boy. As Severus closed in on the boy, Minerva and Lupin senior just had to choose the moment he was going to grab the boy's robes to move in the way out of an hidden alcolve off the Great Hall.   
  
"BLAST!" Severus shouted, as he stumbled into Lupin senior. The werewolf helped him up, frowning at the harried Potions-Master. "unhand me. I have a task to attend to." Severus replied coldly as he dashed off across the Great Hall to the Quidditch field, where the boy had gone off to. Grabbing a broom from passing Madam Hooch's hands, he leapt on the broom and whisked away towards his boy.   
  
"GOTCHA!' Severus exclaimed with a chuckle as he grabbed Sirius James up from the ground and upon his broom. The boy struggled furiously, making those odd, strained noises, sounding as if Mrs. Norris was yowling along with Fang in off-key. Tempted to cover his ears, Severus bit his lip as he touched down on the ground, keeping a firm grip on the boy's arm. Hurrying up to the castle, Severus searched for one of his sign language books, and finding one, he hurriedly looked up a few signs.   
  
"You... Stay... With ... Me.. Now." Severus slowly moved his hands. The boy scowled up at him, fire in his eyes. Well, it was an improvement from last night, Severus thought with a sigh as he flipped through the book. "Why... You... Run ... Away?" Severus asked. The boy's hands moved rapidly and at a fierce rate. Severus held his hands up, shaking his head and indicating he should slow down.  
  
"You will hurt me."  
  
"No." Severus signed fluently. That was one sign he had learned so well in a short span of time.   
  
"Yes, you will hurt me. See." Sirius James signed, holding up his arms, showing his scars and bruises. Severus's eyes turned harsh and cold. There was no excuse ever, ever, to harm a child.  
  
"I.. Will.. Kill.. Who.. Hurt.. .You." Severus signed sharply and slowly, as he flipped through the book quickly. As Severus was thumbing through his book, Sirius James slowly stepped up to Severus, giving him a quick, tenative hug. Severus stood there, startled, but didn't have time to react as he pulled away sharply. At least, it was one step closer into the right direction, and just in time for dinner, Severus thought with a sigh. "Dinnertime. Let's go eat." Severus signed slowly, picking up his book and understanding why he gave Albus those headaches. The boy did the same to him. Perhaps, he did deserve it. Perhaps.  
  
A/N: I'll try to post longer chapters...Promise. :-) 


	5. Dinnertime Antics

A/N: thank you to all who read/reviewed. Your feedback is super helpful :-)  
  
Severus and Sirius James had sat down to dinner when Hermione and Holly arrived, with Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall in tow, their two children following them.   
  
"Headmaster...?" Severus asked, frowning down at his two children in distaste. Albus merely smiled as he took a seat.   
  
"I always take an interest in the children of my staff members. This is no diffrent, Severus." Albus said as he moved his hands in sign language, for the benefit of Sirius James. Severus watched Albus with a suspicious air about him. Albus smiled at Minerva as she shooed their children to the bathroom to wash. The boy was around twelve, and the girl was about nine. Not too young for people like Albus and Minerva, Severus decided as he reached for a goblet of wine. He was smacked by Hermione, who had sat by his side.   
  
"Severus, wait for everybody to be at the table, and ask in sign language." Hermione said waspishly as her hands moved slowly. "This is to help us learn quickly and to help Sirius to get used to his new home. Think of it as an welcoming feast." At that, Severus grumbled under his breath. "Holly and I have been praticing for dinner, we've even been teaching Hale and Erin some signs so they can play with Sirius." The mentioned children had taken their seats in between Albus and Minerva, the two staring up at Severus and Sirius.   
  
"Very well." Seveus said with a sigh, consulting his book with a frown on his mouth, not liking having to wait for his meal. "Drink, please."  
  
"Thank you, Severus." Hermione said with a smile as she handed Severus his goblet. Albus and Minerva both smiled at Severus, pleased that he hadn't begun snapping at the other patrons of the table, nor become snarky. This evening could be pleasant, if Severus behaved himself. What they didn't count on was the behavior of the children.   
  
"Mama Mione, can I have some lemon drops? Grandpa Albus said I can have some." Holly replied, her hands moving in sign language as well as speaking with her voice. Hermione frowned at Albus as she shook her head.   
  
"Later. When you and the other children finish your dinner, then you can ask Albus." Holly frowned and glanced at Erin, who shrugged and returned to her meal. Hale shook his head at Albus and pushed his plate away, indicating he was done. Snippy appeared to clean up the plates and remains of the meal, as the adults conversed lightly about the upcoming day, which was September 1st, the first day of term for the professors.   
  
"So I'll be Sorted, then?" Hale asked with excitement as he fidgeted in his seat, turning from the game he and the other children had been playing. "I shall be in Gryffindor!" Hale said with a smile. Severus smirked.   
  
"For all you know, you could be a Slytherin."  
  
"Am not!" Hale said with a frown as Holly glared at Hale and bopped him upside his head .   
  
"Not all Slytherins are bad beople. Auntie Cissa and Uncle Drakkey aren't so bad, and Mum says Severus Snape--"  
  
"Apologize to Hale, Holly." Hermione hastily interrupted, waving her hand at Holly, who stuck her lower lip out at her mother. "Now."  
  
"Fine. Hale, I'm sorry I bopped you." she replied sulkily, scowling at the older boy as Erin giggled madly, and Sirius sat there, bored, since everyone had abadoned the novelty of signing. Severus scowled at Hermione, wondering what she had been saying about him behind his back. Holly then turned to Sirius, her hands moving rapidly and giggling. Hale, Erin, and Sirius all burst out in racocous laughter, snickering and throwing down their cards, abadoning their game and choosing to huddle around each other, Holly translating for Sirius. All of the adults glanced at each other uneasily, Albus lost for once, not understanding the behaviour of his own children.   
  
"Don't look at me, Severus. Holly just remarked that Hermione remarked that you could give her detention any day. I don't think there's.." Albus remarked as Minerva jabbed him in the side with her sharp elbow, silencing the old man at her side.   
  
"I think it is time for us to go, we have a busy day tomorrow with the arrival of the new students, and Hale needs to pack his things. Come on, Hale, Erin."  
  
"but, Minerva.." Hale said with a sigh. "Things were getting good, too!"  
  
"Come on, it's past Erin's bedtime. And I'm sure Holly and Sirius need to go to bed." Albus said with a twinkle in his eye. "They can see each other tomorrow at the Day Centre." Albus said, referring to the center recently established next door to Hogwarts, for the professors' children to go to school if they were too young to go to Hogwarts, and for the younger ones to be watched. Erin smiled at Severus and Hermione as she headed over to Albus and Minerva, taking the deputy headmistress's hand into hers. "Good night, Severus, Hermione."  
  
After Albus, Minerva, and their children had left, Severus glanced at Hermione, Holly, and Sirius. The children were giggling and chasing each other around the room, ceasing occasionally to sign to each other. Hermione was sitting on the couch, blushing furiously. Suddenly, the implications of the earlier conversastion hit him. He wasn't dense or slow on the uptake, but he knew an innuendo when he heard one. He was just not used to having them aimed at him.   
  
"Miss Granger." Severus purred, arching an eyebrow. "If you wanted detention with me, All you had to do was ask." At that, Severus was pleased that Hermione had turned twenty additional shades of red, red enough to rival a Weasley's red hair. Severus smirked as he rose from his spot on the couch and glided over to his son, waving his arm to get his attention. The boy turned, but was tackled by Holly in his moment of distraction. After the children had finished their tussle, Severus scowled down at the two children.   
  
"It is time for him to go to bed. You should be off to bed, also." Severus said sharply at Holly, who only grinned up at him mischievously. Severus didn't like that look.   
  
"Well, don't you and Mama Mione have a bedtime too?" Holly replied gracefully, her hands moving slowly as Sirius James laughed, shaking his head and his hands moving rapidly.   
  
"What did he say?" severus asked, suspicion written on his face. Holly innocently looked up at him, her hazel eyes large and angelic, her brown hair coming loose from it's horse's tail.   
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"No." Holly said, sticking her tongue out at Severus. "Kids have their secrets too, just like you and Mama Mione have your secrets." At that, Severus's eyes glided over to Hermione, who was still blushing furiously, her head in her hands at the crazy remarks of her not so angelic daughter. Severus remained silent, for the first time in his life, he had no snarky comeback. A five year old girl had gotten the best of him. And worst of all, she was the know-it-all's daughter. Will wonders ever cease, Severus thought dryly as he scowled down at the mischievous pair of Sirius James and Holly Granger.  
  
"GO. To. Bed. Now." Severus said, his hands moving surely and slowly. Both children knew it was time to listen to the Potions-Master, he seemed at the end of his rope. After all, it had been quite a day for everyone in the room.  
  
"Holly, why did you have to be so cheeky to Severus?" Hermione snapped as they reached their own rooms, having used Severus's fireplace for the floo. Holly giggled, looking up at her mother with her almond-shaped eyes, radiating innocence from every pore.   
  
"He was cheeky to you. So he deserved it." Holly said, as Hermione blushed. She didn't want to explain the nuances of flirting with Severus Snape, and their awkard, sudden relationship, so she just sent her daughter off to bed. As she listened to Holly brushing her teeth, Hermione sat on the couch, wondering what had gotten into Severus Snape. He was still stern and staid, yes, but something in him had been looseneed, ever since Sirius had arrived. Perhaps the responsibility of Sirius had given Severus something to do with his time, other than brood in his dungeons. With thoughts of Severus's change in behavior, Hermione slipped into her pyjamas and slid into her bed, slowly drifting off to sleep.  
  
A/N: sorry, I know i promised a longer chapter, but wanted to update quickly.. Next chappy will be longer and kind of dark, about Sirius James's history at the Orphanage, and Snape's time as a Death Eater. Just warning you ahead of time.... Plus, Dumbledore knows everything, so I would assume he already is fluent in sign language. More SS/HG interaction will come up, I promise... as well as AD/MM... 


	6. A Snape by any other name

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming!! I love you all! And by the way, Sirius James is just a touch of irony I couldn't resist putting in, but only temporarily..   
  
Severus Snape stood at the enterance of his son's room, watching the boy huddle in a small ball in the darkest corner of the room. Something had happened to the boy at the orphanage, or perhaps in his former life, judging from his odd behavior from the moment Severus had stepped in the room.   
  
"Go to bed, this is no time for play." Severus said as his hands moved slowly and awkardly. The boy shook his head furiously, making his annoying yowling noises again. It was obvious the boy was afraid, but of what, Severus had to find out. He wished the book had all of the signs he needed, but it was difficult. Being the smart man Severus was, he conjured up a scroll of parchment and a quill, scribbling down a question on the paper, hoping the child could read.   
  
"What Happened To You?" Severus wrote, handing the paper to the boy, who refused to touch him, nor awkenoldge him. Severus scowled down at the boy, his eyes dark and forboding. Someone had harmed the boy so severely in his past. The man glared down at the boy, swearing a swift vegenance and slow death for whomever had caused the distress in the boy. Severus gave up on the parchment, and moved his hands in sign language the best he could.   
  
((A/N: the rest of the conversations here are in sign language, Severus is speaking as well as signing, being the smart man he is, he has picked up on sign very well, but still isn't the best))  
  
"What is wrong?" Severus asked, sitting on the bed and keeping his eyes focused on the seven year old boy in the corner. The boy glanced up at him with cold eyes, the exact opposite of his warmly twinkling eyes at dinner.   
  
"You will hurt me." The boy said, holding up his arm to reveal dark scars. Severus's jaw tightened at the ugly scars. Shaking his head no, Severus held out his own arm wordlessly to show his own Dark Mark.   
  
"I hurt too." Severus said slowly. The boy remained still, but he had loosened his hold on himself, curiosity glinting in his dark eyes. The boy shook his head no. Severus scowled, remaining seated on the boy's bed. "Why would I hurt you?"  
  
"I'm a mudblood." Severus's blood boiled at the sight of that word, amazed that word had wormed its' way into the boy's language.  
  
"Hermione is a muggle born, just like you are. I don't hurt her, and Holly loves her." Severus explained rationally. "I am fairly certain that a teacher here has a muggle-born son your age." Severus added, keeping his expressions neutral and easy to read for his son's comfort. Slowly, the boy inched away from the corner, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.   
  
"At night, they come to hurt." The boy said with a slight tremor in his words. Severus froze, keeping his hands in full view of the boy.   
  
"Go to bed, and tomorrow, you can tell Albus all about it. He will take away the hurt. He took away my hurt, too." Severus said softly, rising from the bed and standing in the doorway, watching the boy keep a wary eye on him, slipping into his own bed. As he turned off the light and left the room, he could hear the boy's whimpering noises soften into snores.   
  
The next morning, Severus made sure his boy looked presentable. He and the boy had recently engaged upon an arguement, the boy wanting to wear muggle style jean overalls with a black Muggle T-shirt underneath and bare feet. They had reached an agreement, that if he allowed Severus to put on a warming charm on his feet and wore a robe over his clothes, he would be allowed out of his rooms.   
  
"Time to eat. You are eating breakfast with me in the Great Hall." Severus said as he made sure the boy followed him up to the Great Hall. "You will sit with Erin and Holly." Severus said, pulling out a chair for the boy to sit in at the childrens' table before heading up to the Staff Table to sit with the other faculty, taking a seat next to Stacey Wood, the new Muggle Studies professor and wife to Oliver Wood, the Flying intstructor. On Severus's left was Albus Dumbledore, and Severus took that opportunity to relay to Albus that his son would need some time with an person who was fluent in his language to explain the situation here in full.   
  
"Certainly, I would be glad to spend time with your son." Albus said with a smile. "Erin and Hale really have taken a shine to him. I think he will love it here." Albus continued, wearing that all-knowing smile on his lips. Severus sneered and turned back to his meal, vaguely listening to Stacey Wood chatter on about a cartoon character named Tweety Bird, of whom her daughter completely adored. Severus glanced up at the children's table, seeing Sirius James scowl down at a girl wearing a muggle T-shirt embalazoned with a hideous yellow bird. If that was Stacey Wood's daughter, Severus thought, I would be scowling also. That bird scares me, Severus thought with a shiver. That thing should have been the mascot of Hufflepuff House instead of that badger.   
  
Holly Granger and young Remy Lupin both had taken a shine to his boy, Severus thought as he watched the triumverate all chatter away with their hands, their eyes glinting with feral childlike joy. He shivered, he would not want another Golden Trio to grace the halls of Hogwarts. His attention then turned to his House table, making sure the brats could control themselves. He set an wary eye on a pair of twins, the two girls seeming all too confident for a first day of studies. He knew he would have them first thing after breakfast, and vowed to keep his eye on those two as he swooped down from the Staff Table towards the dungeons, not bothering to stop by the children's table. Albus would take care of it.   
  
Severus knew his instincts had been right. Not five minutes after he had released the brats to do their work, the twins' cauldrons both had exploded, one smoking puprle smoke, and the other consumed with black flames, of all things. He prayed that the two girls were not Longbottoms. Much to Severus's chagrign, they were Weasleys.   
  
"Luciana and Deirdra Weasley, at your service." the shorter one said with a grin as Severus took fifty points off of Slytherin. He was consoled by the knowledge that reliable Molly Weasley would see to it that they recieved an Howler at breakfast tomorrow. For a fleeting moment, he wished he was as deaf as his own son as he pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for the Slytherin/Gryffindor class of first years to be finished already, he was getting one of his dreadful headaches, and wanted to escape to the staff room as soon as possible for some migraine toxic.  
  
"Why don't you come with me, young man?" Albus asked, taking Sirius James gently by the shoulder. "I would like you to visit with my bird, Fawkes. Have you ever seen a Phoenix?"  
  
"No.. I have read about them, though." Sirius said with a smile as he bid goodbye to his new friends and walked off with Albus to his office for a nice chat. The two reached his office, and Sirius James had a seat in a comfy armchair, and accepted Albus's offer of lemon drops eagerly before Albus began the discussion that Severus had brought to his attention.   
  
"Do you understand what you are doing here?" Albus asked first thing, his eyebrows arched in question. Sirius James looked up, and shook his head no. "What do you know?"  
  
"I ... I was taken away to here." Sirius James said, trembbling as he put down the lemon drops and drew his knees up to his chin. Albus leaned back in his chair, and shook his head.   
  
"Let me explain things to you. Do you know Voldemort?"  
  
"Uh-uh. His snake people killed my parents. He tried to hurt me. He said that at night, the snake people would try to hurt me because I was a mudblood." Sirius James said with a sharp frown, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.  
  
"Voldemort is dead. You can't be hurt anymore. The Snake People are called Death Eaters, and your adopted father was one a long time ago before you were born." Albus explained slowly, making sure Sirius James understood each and every word. "Because Voldemort killed your parents, Severus adopted you, and became your new father."  
  
"Is that his name?" Sirius James asked.   
  
"Severus Salazar Snape. That is his name, and your name is Sirius James Ravenwood." Albus said with a smile. "Severus hasn't signed the paper to change your name yet."  
  
"Why did he cry when I told him my name?" Sirius James asked, his fears put aside for the moment, he felt he could trust the nice old man with the twinkling blue eyes named Albus.   
  
Albus shook his head sadly and ate a few lemon drops before continuing, it was an hard subject to talk about, especially with a boy so young.   
  
"He was hurt, like you were hurt by the Snake People, by four men, two men were named Sirius and James. Of those four men, three are dead, and only one is alive. The one who is alive is a good man, and said he was sorry for hurting your father."  
  
"If I have a name of someone who hurt my daddy, I won't want it. I want my own name. I want to be my own person." Sirius James said solemnly, a slow nod of his head sealed his decision and wise words. Albus smiled sadly, he wasa a fine Snape, after being in Severus's company for only one day.   
  
"Very well, That sounds like a grand idea. What would you like your name to be, young man?"  
  
"I have a new home, a new family... I want my name to be something like my daddy's." the young boy said, thoughtfully chewing on his lip. "Something he would like."  
  
"How about Peresus Evans Snape? It is your daddy's name, but spelled a diffrent way." Albus said with a smile, appreciating his clever anagram of Sevrus's name. He frowned slightly at the boy's shake of his head.  
  
"No. I don't want to be just like my daddy, I want to be me. I want to be... Samuel Sebastian Snape. That feels like a good name for me." the boy replied, holding on to the memory of his new father's name, Severus Salazar Snape. The new name had the same feeling as his daddy's name, and he liked it.  
  
"Very well, young Samuel. Welcome to Hogwarts. Why don't we walk over to the day centre and I can have Miss Granger explain everything about this magic school to you?"  
  
"Is magic when you wave around that stick? Daddy got mad at me for doing that. But it was fun, I could move things just thinking about it and pointing at it."  
  
"When you get as big as Hale, you can try it for yourself." Albus said, internally reminding himself to send an owl to the nearby deaf school to send over a tutor for the newest Snape. A small smile graced his lips, things were going to get very intresting around here, and he was eager to witness the fun he would have overseeing a new generation at Hogwarts, of which included his own children.   
  
"Let a new life begin." Albus whispered, his eyes settling on the raven-haired boy who was walking at his side, pointing at things and asking questions endlessly. Severus was going to have his hands full with yet another one of those, what did Severus call them.... know-it-alls.   
  
A/N: hope this was all right, I thought since he was starting a new life, he could use a name change. Plus, since I have a cold, I'm not really into writing sad stories about Snape's past or the little boy's past. but of course, the past has a way of rearing its' ugly head once in a while. Next chapter, some SS/HG goodness, courtesy of Holly Minerva, the little matchmaker. 


	7. Matchmaking Plans

A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing my story.. from now on, the boy will be referred to as "Samuel" and not any other name. :-) THANK YOU :-) And, thanks for your feedback it helps a lot! :-)  
  
Albus shook his head at the boy as he bounded up the walk up ahead of Albus to the Day Centre, hopping to and fro on his feet in eagerness. It was clear that he had wanted to start a new chapter in his life, away from all of the pain. Thankfully, he took his changes better than Severus had. Samuel would be good for Severus, that was certain, Albus thought as he opened the door for Samuel, and greeting Hermione with a smile.   
  
"Miss Granger, let me present to you Samuel Sebastian Snape. He and I had a small discussion earlier to clear up any misunderstandings he might have had. I am sure he and Holly will take well to each other as playmates, as well as young Mr. Lupin." Albus said, his eyes twinkling. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go have a talk with Mr. Percy Weasley upon the conduct of his children." Dumbledore said with an all-knowing smile, leaving the Day Centre with a smile and wave for all of the children and supervisors present.   
  
"What was all that?" Hermione asked, turning to Samuel. "You changed your name? Why?" Hermione asked as she crouched down to Samuel's eye level, Holly and Remy Lupin both glancing at Samuel, eyes full of curiosity.   
  
"Sirius and James hurt my daddy. I don't want to be mean like that. So I changed." Samuel said with a large smile. "See, I even made up a new name sign for myself." Samuel said with a smile. "Everyone who is deaf has a name sign to go with their name." Samuel explained, closing his hand into a fist and brushing it gently across his temple. "That is me. Samuel Sebastian Snape, so you don't have to spell out my name in sign all the time, Miss Hermione."  
  
"Why don't you go give everyone their name signs? Maybe that would help all of us, so we don't have to spell everything out." Hermione said with a gentle smile, tears threatening to fall, and glad she had found a diversion for the children, so she could privately Floo Professor Snape and inform him of what his son had been up to. She knew Severus would have to have an reaction to the recent indicents concerning Samuel.   
  
Severus Snape had recently collapsed into his usual overstuffed armchair near the fireplace and just picked up his nice cup of coffee when the Floo popped on, Hermione's head in the flames. Severus was so startled, he spilled his coffee on his lap and the mug broke on the floor.   
  
"Nice timing, Miss Granger." Severus said with a scowl as he magicked the floor and his lap clean, conjuring up a new cup of coffee. "What was so important that I had to burn myself for?" A sneer made its way across his thin lips. "Wait, is it the boy?" Severus said, half-unseated from his seat. Hermione shook her head, holding back tears.   
  
"Let me come in for a moment, the children are occupied with Ginny." Hermione said, stepping in the staff room from the floo, sniffling quietlly. Severus moved himself to the couch, making room for Hermione on the couch.   
  
"Is he all right? Did the kids treat him badly?" Severus asked, flashing back on his experiences as a child. Hermione shook her head no, and smiled as tears made its way down her cheeks.   
  
"Your son.. is a brave little boy. He loves you so much, Severus. Did you know that upon his talk with Albus, he changed his name himself?"  
  
"What?" Severus asked, not understanding the importance of the moment. "So, he's now a Snape? He was already a Snape when I signed the papers."  
  
"No, not.. " Hermione trailed off. She took Severus's hands into hers, and smiled. "Your son loves you so much, he changed his name to Samuel Sebastian Snape, because of what Sirus and James did to you when you were a boy. " Hermione said, sniffling as she held on to Severus's hands, finally realizing the closeness the two were sharing. Severus's eyes were wide with disbelief and surprise as he studied Hermione's chocolate brown eyes with his own sharp obisdian eyes.   
  
"He did that all by himself?"  
  
"All by himself. He's now giving everyone name signs." Hermione said with a laugh as Severus frowned in puzzlement. Hermione laughed, continuing the explaination. "We have names, and deaf people have name signs in sign language, so you don't have to spell out the entire name. He's so.. content." Hermione said with a smile as she drew herself up to her full petite frame, dusting off her robes shyly.   
  
"I see. I see." Severus murmured, deep in thought, wondering what his own name sign would be. He would need to do some more research into the matter of raising a deaf child. Well, it was much more useful than brewing lethal potions for Voldemort while under the Imperius curse.   
  
Upon Hermione's return, she found the children swarming around the building, giggling and screaming.   
  
"What's going on?" Hermione asked Ginny, who shrugged.   
  
"I don't know.. Samuel and Holly were whispering together in that sign language of theirs, and now all of the children are riled up, doing a secret project, or that was what Remy Lupin told me. He's been quite close mouthed about this thing. The most I can get is from Frank Longbottom, who says it is a good deed for someone special."  
  
"What?" Hermione said, confused. Sharing a sigh with Ginny, the two women went off to round up the children for their naptime. The mystery of the secret project could wait until Holly's dinner, where Hermione would put Holly on the spot. Perhaps deny her a bedtime story, that could work, Hermione thought with a smile. Severus was rubbing off on her, Hermione thought with a laugh as she picked up little Frank Longbottom and put him in the nap room with the other children, making sure they were all calmed down and quiet before she closed the door and warded it agasint wandering children. She then sat down at one of the low tables, a cup of tea in her hand and a biscuit on a napkin in front of her, Ginny at her side.   
  
"What do you think is going on, Gin?"  
  
"I have no idea. I don't know sign language, but now I have some incentive to learn, they have bewitched my own little girl." Ginny said with a smile, thinking of the little girl she had adopted in Hogsmeade a few months ago. "Alin was really wild today. I think we had better watch out at dinner tonight. I know I heard one of them talking about dinner time."  
  
"I see." Hermione said, the wheels turning in her head. She would warn the ghosts and ask them to keep an eye on the children's behavior during dinner, maybe she would go sit with Holly and Samuel during dinner, to warrant good behavior. They couldn't do anything with her there, could they?  
  
Severus Snape was hunched over a stack of books, his hands moving slowly but surely. He was working on understanding what made his own son tick. It was a very intresting project, that Severus nearly frogot to show up to his NEWT level potions lesson. He made it in time, hauling several books with him and settling them on his desk, so he could do a good bit of reading during the class. There were no longbottoms to worry about in this class, so he could finally have some time to himself. The time flew by and he was mildly surprised to see that it was time for dinner, and the classroom was empty. Had he been that intrested in his book? Severus shook his head and walked up to the Great Hall, one of his books under his arm. He wasn't abadoning his project, merely relocating it... again.   
  
((A/N: in this part, the children are signing and speaking. So when Samuel speaks, it is entirely in sign language. Kids tend to pick up sign language faster than adults))  
  
Holly Granger and Samuel Snape sat next to Remy Lupin, their heads bent towards each other, hands flying in eagerness. Their parents sat up at the Staff Table, curiously watching the children. Samuel looked up after a long moment, studying his daddy. He seemed happy when he was with Hermione, so he had agreed to Holly's plan to get them married. Although, he didn't know how someone could do that. Remy Lupin was agreeing to the plan, saying that they needed to kiss first. So far, they had managed to bribe Bramwell Filch, the caretaker's adopted son to keep Mrs. Norris out of the halls for tonight, so the children could have a secret meeting in the Room of Requirement.   
  
"Where's that?" Samuel asked with curiosity.  
  
"Daddy Remus said just think real hard and it will show up." Remy Lupin said with a nod. "We go in there when Daddy Remus changes into a wolf."  
  
"He does that? Awesome!" Samuel said, a smile on his face as Holly Granger gaped at Remy Lupin.   
  
"He's a werewolf? Oh.. I'm so jealous of you." Holly Granger said with a sigh. "But if we get Samuel's Daddy and my Mama Mione to kiss, we can have BOTH a Daddy and a Mommy. Don't you want that, Samuel?"  
  
"Yes.." Samuel said with a small smile.  
  
"Yes, I think so. I think that gets you married." Holly declared in a bossy tone, sounding nearly just like her own mother. Samuel shrugged as Remy Lupin leaned on the table, finishing up his food in silence. Samuel blushed furiously, pushing himself away from the table and walking up to the Staff Table. He just had to know the answer to that question.  
  
"Wait, Samuel!" Holly Granger and Remy Lupin both shouted, storming up to the deaf boy, joining him at his side. "We want to know too. Let's ask my Mama Mione."  
  
"No, ask your Daddy Remus."  
  
"No, ask my Daddy." All of the children stood in front of the Staff table, squabbling among themselves as their parents stared at them, wondering what was going on.   
  
Severus watched the children squabble, trying to catch their signs. All he could catch from them was they were talking about Mothers and Fathers. Dear god, he hoped he would not have to explain procreation to Samuel. He would leave that job to Hermione. After a long moment of silence, Remy Lupin blushed and turned to Lupin senior. All of the professors' heads turned to Lupin and his son, wondering what exactly he was going to ask.   
  
"Daddy Remus, Samuel and I want to ask you a question."  
  
"All right." Remus said, as he turned to glance at Severus. "Severus."  
  
"Go ahead, boys." Severus said with a sigh, closing his book with a thud. "What is it now?" Samuel shifted nervously from foot to foot, as Holly Granger sighed, nudging Remy with impatience. Remus smiled softly at his little boy, amused at the shyness of the children. Remy tried to speak, but each time, a squeak came out. Holly Granger sighed, shaking her head and pulling back both of the older boys with a shake of her head.   
  
"We know if someone kisses, they are married and a daddy and a mommy. Is that right?" At that, Remus Lupin's eyes went wide, as Severus Snape slowly took in a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance and amusement while Hermione Granger sat there, her mouth gaping open with surprise. A cough came from Remus Lupin, as he took a drink of his pumpkin juice, not believing the mess his child had gotten into with his new friends.   
  
"Um.. Severus?." Remus said, giggling like mad, earning odd glances from Dumbledore and McGonagall, Hooch and Hagrid.   
  
"Shut up, Lupin." Severus said with a scowl. "It isn't amusing."  
  
"Yes it is. It's all part of raising children. I just wish a Creevey was here to take a picture of this." Remus Lupin said with a small giggle, turning to his son.   
  
"Remy.. kisses are for people who are in love with each other. You cannot get married with kisses. Only if you ask someone to marry them, and they say yes, then you can be married." Remus said, trying to hold back rumbles of laughter. Severus looked like he had just sucked on a lemon as he peered at his own son.   
  
"And don't listen to anything Holly Granger says." Severus added with a small smirk.  
  
"Severus!" Hermione said, frowning up at the potions-master. "That isn't nice to say."  
  
"well, she's the one who got them into this spot of trouble." Severus said with a sigh, rising from the table. "I will be in the dungeons. Samuel, it's time for your bedtime. I think you've been listening to Mr. Lupin and Miss Granger too much today." Severus said with a scowl as he ushered his son out of the Great Hall.   
  
After Severus had finally sorted out the kiss explaination with his son, he sighed and leaned back into his armchair, listening to the soft snores of his son in the other room. Laughing to himself, he shook his head at the misunderstandings of the children. Marriage, indeed. Judging from Samuel's reactions, he had never had a real family, nor seen any interactions of affection from other people. It seemed to Severus that Samuel had been isolated most of his life. A dark rage bubbled up, a rage at the people who dared treat that boy as if he was inferior. The boy was obviously intelligent.   
  
An idea striking him, Severus flooed Miss Granger. He would ask her about hiring a tutor for Samuel to begin his formal education, to get him ready for enrollment into Hogwarts when he would turn eleven. A smile crept upon Severus's lips, a testimony to his heart, which had softened in the time he had spent with Samuel. Having a child wasn't too bad, Severus thought with a shake of his head. He couldn't recall the last time he had a real reason to let loose and laugh. With a start, he realized that he had changed Samuel, he no longer trembled in fear or hid from people. They were changed people, in their own way, from each other's influences. Severus shook his head, amused at the notion that a little boy had melted the cold shell surrounding his own heart.  
  
((A/N: hope this is all right.. Samuel had been isolated most of his life, so he is still learning interaction with Remy and Holly. I tried to put in SS/HG, but this chapter kind of wrote itself. THANK YOU for reading/reviewing! )) 


	8. Up to Something, but what?

A/N: thanks for your reviews!!! It's helped me fix up some mistakes, and make the reading experience much more enjoyable for you all. THANK YOU :-)  
  
Samuel Snape peered out of the doorway, studying the dark corridors before him. Remembering Holly's and Remy's directions, he slowly but surely made his way towards the Room of Requirement, thinking furiously of what he needed. Slowly but surely, he could see a door materialize out of the wall, right near where he had gone exploring a few days ago. He slowly opened the door, peering into the room and breaking into a wide grin upon the sight of all of his friends.   
  
"Samuel's finally here, now we can begin." Holly Granger said with an exasperated sigh, waving over Samuel. "Let's go over the plan quickly, I'm sure Bramwell cannot keep his dad busy for more than an half hour." Holly said in a professional tone, her hands moving quickly.   
  
"Now, you all know why we are here. We need to get Samuel Snape's daddy married to Holly Granger's mum. We need to get them to kiss. Any ideas?" Remy Lupin said as Holly Granger translated in sign language for Samuel Snape, Samuel nodding in agreement with Remy. A small girl of six with a braid down her back smiled and held up her hand.  
  
"Yes, Emma?" Remy said as he pointed at the girl who rose.   
  
"My daddy always kisses my owies when they hurt. Maybe if Miss Mione got an owie, Mr. Snape would kiss it?" Emma asked, shrugging her shoulders and glancing at Samuel who stood there in thought.   
  
"My daddy doesn't kiss owies." Samuel signed smoothly with a shake of his head. "He has many owies on him and no one kissed them. I can see when he takes off his shirt for bedtime." Samuel added. "Maybe Miss Mione can kiss his owies?"  
  
"No. He has to kiss her, he's a boy." Holly Granger said with an exasperated sigh. "Didn't you read cinderella? the prince kisses the princess. The princesses never do the kissing."  
  
"All right, fine." Remy Lupin said with a roll of his eyes as red-haired and blue-eyed Mary-Kate Wood stood up with a nervous smile on her lips, straightening out her purple Tweety Bird nightshirt.  
  
"My mommy always kisses my daddy when he has a cold and calls him sweetheart. Maybe if Mr. Snape got a cold? I heard it's always cold down there, everyone hates it."  
  
"Good idea!" Remy said with a broad smile, as Mary-Kate nodded along with Emma. "My daddy is always sick after he changes in a wolf. Maybe if Mr. Snape changed into a wolf?"  
  
"No, you idiot, only if he is a werewolf." Samuel snape signed with a roll of his eyes and a smile on his lips. "My daddy told me. I asked him before."  
  
"Oh. Any more ideas?" Remy Lupin asked with a careless shrug as Erin McGonagall swooped into the room, followed by Bramwell Filch, a surly eight year old boy.  
  
"They're coming- they've noticed you're all out of your beds. Hurry! Hale's set off a dungbomb, along with the weasley twins, but I don't know how long it will work to keep them busy. Hurry!" Erin said, waving over the children to a floo fireplace that had popped up miraculously. Holly and Remy both grabbed Samuel, hauling him along with them to the fireplace. Emma Hagrid went first, calling out "Hagrid Hut!". Mary-Kate wood followed, calling out "Wood Rooms!".   
  
"Samuel, can you say the Dungeons?" Holly asked, as Remy flooed himself to "Lupin's Rooms". Holly Granger could hear voices coming closer, the angry voice of Filch and the soothing voice of Erin McGonagall, along with Hale Dumbledore and the twins. Samuel shook his head shyly as he thrust the floo powder to Holly Granger.   
  
"Next time, maybe." Samuel said as he stepped into the flames. "Thank you." The boy signed carefully as he disappeared in the green flames, only to fall with a loud thump in his daddy's fireplace. Upon closer inspection of the empty room, he could tell that his daddy hadn't gotten up during the night. He could sneak back into his room with confidence. Somehow, he had to make his daddy get a cold, but how?   
  
Severus Snape had just spent an hour talking with Hermione Granger about the nearby school for the deaf, where he could send Samuel to stay and gain an good education. Severus collapsed into his bed, wondering why it had to be so complicated to have a child. He didn't want to send away Samuel. He knew if he sent Samuel away to that school, he would become like he had been before his adoption: afraid of everything, every person evil personified. Severus shivered, he would never, ever send Samuel away from Hogwarts. Turning on his side, Severus gazed at his clock, and slowly fell asleep, not noticing the shadow of his son creeping to his room.   
  
"DADDAH!" Samuel screamed as he ran and jumped up on the bed, rudely awakening Severus from a nice, deep sleep. Severus scowled up at his son, who was kneeling by his side, beaming happily, his eyes twinkling. Wait a minute, Severus thought as he sat up, staring down at the black-haired and brown-eyed little boy gazing up at him with adoration.   
  
"Did you just talk?" Severus signed, narrowing his eyes as his hands moved groggily and slowly, he wasn't fully awake. Samuel gasped, his eyes wide and shaking his head no, slowly backing away from Severus. Severus remained still, a smile on his face to comfort the boy's fears. "Samuel, I am so glad you spoke. It is good to use your voice, Samuel. Can you say that again?" Samuel stood on the bed, his eyes filling with tears as he shook his head stubbornly, a frown on his lips.   
  
"No!"  
  
"Okay." Severus sighed, knowing not to push the boy. He would speak, just give him time. At least he could use his voice other than for odd noises. "Time for you to start school." Severus said with a smile as he rose from bed and picked up Samuel, carrying the boy to his room, dumping the boy on his own bed. "Get your robes on, you meet your new professor today."  
  
"I have a professor?" Samuel asked, his hands moving slowly in surprise, his eyes wide. "I go to school?"  
  
"No, you don't go to school, but you have classes with Professor Clerc. He is a teacher for the deaf from London." Severus explained quickly, he had no time to waste. "You will eat breakfast with me and then Albus will take you to meet Professor Clerc. You will not go to the Day Centre with Mr. Lupin and young Miss Granger today." Severus said, gleeful at thwarting whatever plans the wondrous trio had planned for the day. He would have to report to Argus that the children indeed, did have something planned.  
  
"No! I want to go to the Day Centre! I want to see Miss Mione, she's so pretty." Samuel signed in a whine, his pout exaggerated. Severus now knew there was a ploy to lure him to the centre.   
  
"After your lessons, you may go." Severus found himself signing, much to his dislike. Somehow, the boy had him wrapped around his little finger. Drat the boy. Samuel's face lit up with joy, as he grinned, jumping down from his bed and hastily beginning to dress. Severus swept out of the room, a frown on his face as he scowled at Snippy, who was cleaning the floor of floo powder.   
  
"What happened, Snippy?"  
  
"Young Master tracked floo dust all over the floor last night."  
  
"How did he floo here?" Severus asked, suspicion written all over his face as he glanced at the unmistakeable trackings of a little boy's footprints. So, he and Granger had snuck out of their beds last night. Doubtless, young Mr. Lupin had done so, also. "He can't speak clearly enough to use the floo."  
  
"Young Mistress Granger helped young Master Samuel, Master Severus."  
  
"I see." Severus remarked slowly, glancing at his son, who had finished dressing in a set of muggle overalls, yet the same blasted pair he was wearing the other day.   
  
"Didn't I tell you to get dressed?" Severus signed sharply, frowning down at the filthy pair of overalls.   
  
"They're the only clothes I have, Daddy. Do you really want me to walk around in my underwear?" Samuel asked as his hands moved in a sharp motion, a strange, barking laugh making its way out of his throat. Severus sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose. Today wasn't going as planned, Severus thought with a frown as he peered down at his mischievous son. With a swish of his wand, Severus had cleaned his son's overalls. Not wanting an arguement, Severus swept out of the dungeons after motioning for Samuel to follow. He did have to have a word with Lupin and Hermione, their children were an horrid influence on his own son.   
  
"So, what did your Daddy say?" Holly Granger asked, her eyes wide in amusement as her hands moved around quickly, Remy Lupin nodding. Samuel pouted as he thumped down in his seat, kicking aside the chair next to him. Up at the Staff Table, Severus sent Samuel a withering glare, which was reputed to stop any Hogwarts students in their tracks, but not Samuel Snape.   
  
"Daddy's being stupid. He's making me go to class with Professor Clerc. He won't get a cold, and he won't go to the Day center to see Miss Mione." Samuel signed furiously, his face still in a pout. Remy glanced up at the Staff Table, and smiled.   
  
"Why don't you just put up mistletoe? that seems to work. It works fast. If I can just get my daddy's wand, I can do it!" Remy Lupin said with a broad smile, his hands moving slowly in sign language as Samuel and Holly grinned back.   
  
"Remy, you go crawl under the table and get your Daddy's wand. Me and Samuel will keep our daddies and mummy busy. Oi, Erin! Emma! want to help us?" Holly Granger said with a mischievous gleam in her eye as all of the children gathered around Samuel, Remy, and herself, formulating a plan for the poor unaware adults up at the Staff Table. Operation Mistletoe was now underway....   
  
A/N: kinda mean, putting in a cliffhanger here, but next chapter's gonna be kinda long, and I wanted to update quickly. THANK YOU for all of your feedback, It helped so much. THANK YOU to all of my readers/ reveiwers!! 


	9. Operation Mistletoe

Rubeus Hagrid sighed in exasperation. His Emma had stormed up to him, insisting she just had to have her hair braided now, Samuel Snape had been mean to her and undone her braid. Hagrid sighed, a pleading look on his face aimed at Hermione.   
  
"Miss Granger, can you help me do up Emma's hair? She insists on doing her hair now, and I just don't know how." Hagrid asked. Hermione nodded, rising from her seat and heading over to Emma and Hagrid. "Samuel Snape was mean to her, he undid her braid."  
  
"Looking at who he has for a father, I wouldn't put it past him to do that." Hermione said with a laugh, pulling Emma on her lap. "Watch carefully, Reubus." Hermione said as she began to braid Emma's waist-length brown hair into a nice french braid.  
  
Erin stood up, hollering as she engaged into a mini-food fight with Bramwell Filch, the two tossing bacon, sausages, doughnuts, and cereal bars at each other madly. Erin launched herself at Bramwell, pinning him to the floor as she smeared twinkie cream all over his face, much to the distress of Minerva McGonagall and Argus Filch.   
  
"Bram!" Argus shouted, scurrying up with Mrs. Norris. "Stop that, boy!" Filch scowled down at the boy who was getting his face creamed by a nine year old dervish.  
  
"Erin! you should be ashamed of your behavior!" Minerva said as she swooped down from the Staff Table, her lips thinned beyond existence in the throes of anger aimed at her errant, mischievous daughter. Hauling up Erin by her arm, Minerva huffed sharply, wondering what had gotten into her, she had been an angel ever since her arrival at Hogwarts.. until she met Samuel Snape!  
  
Remy Lupin and Samuel Snape both glanced at each other. Samuel knew what he had to do to get his Daddy to look at him and not at the mistletoe. He knew he had to get Remy's daddy to look at him too. He didn't like to talk with his voice, but Remy said it was the only thing he could do to keep everybody looking at him and not at Holly under the table. So far, Miss Mione was busy with Emma and her daddy, and Miss Minerva and Filch were busy yelling at Erin and Bram. It was time now. Holly had gotten under the table, but she had to have Mr. Lupin stand up so she could get the wand and do the magic, she had read how to in a book of her mommy's last night.   
  
"Do you know what to do?." Remy asked with a shrug. Samuel shook his head no. Remy sighed, he had to think of a plan, and fast.   
  
Hermione walked over to Severus, wondering where her daughter had gotten to in the midst of the mess that Erin and Bram had caused. All of the children were yelling, laughing, and egging on Erin and Bram as the two were dragged away by their respective parents. She knew somehow, that her daughter had something to do with this, she had been looking suspicious lately, wanting to read some of her spell books from her school days.   
  
"Severus, what has gotten into the children?"  
  
"Don't ask me." Severus replied coldly, his eyes narrowing at Samuel, who had stood up with Remy Lupin, the two boys smiling at each other as they approached the Staff Table. Hermione momentarily glanced at Samuel, wondering where the third member of their trio had gone off to.   
  
Remy did the only thing he could think of.   
  
"Samuel and I were talking. We want to know where babies come from, and how you get them." Remy said with a nod from Samuel at his side, as his hands moved slowly but surely. "Samuel says that you need to rip a girl's clothes off and lay..."  
  
"REMUS WOLFGANG LUPIN!" Remus Lupin shouted, leaping up from his seat, holding up his hand as he scurried around the staff table, Severus sitting in his seat, frozen with surprise, but finally managing to scowl down at his son.   
  
"SAMUEL SEBASTIAN SNAPE" Severus slowly and sharply fingerspelled out, his eyebrows high on his forehead. Hermione leaned forward, her mouth agape in surprise.   
  
Holly Lupin smiled, seeing her window of opportunity as Mr. Lupin rose from his seat quickly, jumping after Remy.   
  
"love me not, love me, forever." Holly whispered as she waved around her mum's wand, smiling at the warmth that shot through her as a mountain of mistletoe crashed on Severus and Hermione, just as Severus had rosen from his seat to chatise his son.   
  
"What the..?" Severus muttered to himself, looking up into Hermione's eyes. For reasons unknown to Severus, he found himself reaching out to Hermione, leaning down to kiss the brown-haired and -eyed know -it-all Gryffindor with all the might he had in his heart.   
  
Hermione was startled when she felt a torrent of mistletoe crash upon her and Severus. Gasping, she looked up into Severus's black eyes, momentarily mesemerized by the surprise found in the eyes.   
  
"Sev.." Hermione found heself whispering as Severus kissed her thoroughly, taking care to taste every part of her mouth deeply. The kiss lasted for a while, Severus wrapping his arms snugly around Hermione, the witch leaning into his kiss with gusto and fervor.   
  
As the two broke the kiss, the children all broke out in applause, cheering and hollering. Holly Grnager leapt out from under the table, climbing up on top of the table, bowing and grinning, Her Mum's wand still in her hand.   
  
"Thank you." Holly said with a grin as she stood up. Although, the merriment of the children were short-lived after Severus and Hermione managed to catch a breath and gather their wits about them. Holly glanced at her mother, cringing when she saw that her mother had her eyes narrowed, and a side of her mouth was twitching slightly. That wasn't a good sign. Not a good sign at all, especially when you couldn't see Miss Minerva's lips like that, and when Mr. Snape was scowling like that and Mr. Lupin was crossing his arms... uh-oh.   
  
"Busted?" Remy asked, smilling nervously up at his irate werewolf father. Remus Lupin glared down at his son, nodding slowly as Severus and Hermione both glared at their respective children. The trio all gathered together, cringing under the glares they were recieving.   
  
"I would say so." Samuel signed slowly, a soft smile on his lips.  
  
A/N: tried to update as fast as I could.. let me know if this was good :-) kinda tough to think up stuff like this when you're doped up to the gills on Dayquil. THANK YOU for all of your suggestions. Next chapter has more SS/HG goodness. I think I'm getting better at that stuff... but the kids are so much fun to write. I might write a sequel focusing completely on the kids, if I have time.. what do you think? Let me know! :-) 


	10. Occulmency

Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Hermione Granger had dragged off their children to the Staff Room, where they had privacy to lecture the children. Severus stood in the corner, a formidable pillar of black, his arms crossed across his broad chest, his eyes resting on his little boy. The professors all glared at the children, Remus Lupin lecturing the children rapidly and sternly, his voice gruff and sharp, Hermione's hands moving rapidly in translations for Samuel, whose eyes had lost its mischievous glint.   
  
"Do you realize the damage you could have done, you three? You could have harmed myself, your mother, or Professor Snape. Also, if you have any questions of the delicate sort, you must have more sense to ask us in privacy instead of public like the Great hall.. where do you get these ideas...?" Remus Lupin asked in exasperation, turning to glance at the black-haired boy who stared back with a frown, his eyes watching Hermione's movements.  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Lupin. It won't happen again." Samuel signed, his hands slow and droopy as he sniffled, glancing at Holly Granger. He knew they would have to try again. He could tell his Daddy loved miss Mione, the way he had looked after the kiss, his eyes were all bright and shiny, and he had been smiling. His daddy had never smiled, not in the time he had known his daddy. That was a good thing, Samuel thought as he smiled at Remy, who looked pale and drawn from the vicious lecture he had gotten from Mr. Lupin. Well, at least he didn't have to listen to their voices as they yelled, Samuel thought with a small smile on his lips. It was nice being deaf sometimes.   
  
Severus glanced at his son, motioning for him to follow his father down to the dungeons for a private lecture of his own. He knew to spare the boy embarassment in front of his new friends. The two headed down to the dungeons in silence, Samuel knowing what would happen when they arrived to the dungeons. After all, he was deaf, not dumb.   
  
"Before you say anything, Daddy, Remember how you felt when you kissed Miss Mione, how good it felt for you?" Samuel said with a small smile, turning to face his father fully in the face. "You can't lie to me, I know you liked it. I want you to be happy, and I want a mum, and Miss Mione is a perfect Mum for me. All little boys need a mum and a little sister. Miss Mione isn't stupid, and she is pretty, and she loves you." Samuel lectured his father in a tirade, his hands moving rapidly so he would have a chance to say what he had to say before his father interrupted him.  
  
Severus stared at the little boy before him, puzzled. How did a seven year old boy manage to pin down his emotions and entire facade after living with him only a short while? It had taken his colleagues and Albus years before they had even managed to recgonize the spark of happiness in his eyes for what it was, when he had it.   
  
"Samuel, how can you be so sure that Hermione is in love with me, and not the idea of me? Some women, they like the idea of a bad man who has changed into a good man. I don't know why. How can you be so sure that she loves me?"  
  
"She said so, Daddy. I saw her, she said she loves you, and will love you forever. I know she loves you because you are a good daddy and a good man and everything." Samuel said with a trademark know-it-all nod of his. Severus sat back, studying his son with a critical eye.   
  
The boy was too thin, he could see his ribs, his wrists, and his collarbone with startling clarity. Scars riddled the boy's wrists, and the edge of an angry red welt could be seen peeking under the collar of his shirt. A side of his leg was mangled, the flesh scarred pernamently. Faded marks on his ankles and wrists indicated that he had been chained up for long periods of time, long ago. Yet, despite everything the boy had gone through, he was staring at Severus with a bright, genuine smile on his lips and a spark of life in his eye.   
  
This boy was special, indeed. One of a kind, Severus thought with a small smile as he rose from his seat.   
  
"Bedtime."  
  
"Daddy! but I haven't finished my potion." Samuel moaned, his hands flinging everywhere as he signed, exaggerating his motions to make himself look pitful.   
  
"You can finish it in the morning, Samuel. Off to bed with you." Severus said with an wary eye. "Or do I have to throw you in the room?"  
  
"I'll go." Samuel said with a glint of genuine fear in his eye as he hurried away from the room, the memory of that stab of fear lingering into Severus's mind. Tonight, Severus thought. Tonight, he would find out what made that boy tick. It would make fathering him so much easier. Samuel was unpredictable, happy and sunny one moment, and fearful of everything the next moment. With a weary sigh, Severus walked off to his bedroom, to make himself comfortable for some Legilimency. He would deal with Hermione in the morning. For right now, his son was his first priority.   
  
Laying down on the bed, Severus's mind reached out to brush Samuel's, the tiniest bit. The boy had only just begun to drift off to sleep. Right on schedule, Severus thought with a sad sigh as he began slowly but surely prodding the boy's mind, waiting for the memories to hit him.  
  
Severus was in a dark room, illuminated with only a beam of moonlight. He could hear a sick sort of snuffling and whimpering, much like an injured dog. Severus moved to where the noises were coming from, and could make out a vague outline of a pile of rags and chains in the corner, blood staining the ground crimson. The pile of rags moved, and a dark head rose, sleepy eyes mixed with bloodstained cheeks. Samuel was chained in the corner, wearing nothing but filthy rags for clothes. Dried blood flaked off and mixed with fresh blood, newly formed welts only beginning to heal.   
  
"THAT RUDDY BOY!" Severus heard a man shout, cursing as the man stumbled into the room, reeking of alchohol. Severus could see a Death Eater mark on the man's arm, and recgonized Doholov, one of the Death Eaters he had worked with back in his younger days.   
  
The memory changed, and Samuel was a younger boy, around four years old, wearing a ragged long nightshirt, standing in a corner, staring at Kharakhoff.   
  
"Speak, go on, boy! I know you can. Don't keep secrets from me. You know what I can do to you, you know?" the Death Eater said with a honeyed voice, smiling down at Samuel, crouching down to his level. "What did nice Mr. Malfoy say?" Samuel shook his head, screwing his eyes shut and flinched as Kharakhoff struck him boldly along his cheek, making only a small snuffle. Slowly the boy sniffled, and opened his mouth, which was reddened with dried blood.   
  
Another memory erupted, throwing Severus in a fit of vertigo, knowing he had seen more than enough to understand why the boy was afraid to go to bed. Severus watched Samuel, six years old, crying in a corner, knees drawn up to his chest as much as he could, with the manacles fastened to his ankles.   
  
"Daddy..." Samuel sobbed, crying up to a blank-faced man which Severus vaguely remembered as a Muggle man who had followed Voldemort around like a puppy, licking at his boots and kissing his robes. The blank-faced muggle scowled down at the boy.   
  
"You're not fit to be a wizard, boy. Not like the Blacks and Malfoys, you are a mudblood, a idiot mudblood." the man snarled, lunging down at the boy, a flash of silver flashing in the moonlight. Severus gasped, kneeling down to the floor as a wave of nausea hit him, and he emptied his stomach's contents on the floor of the empty dirt cell that Samuel had been kept chained in for years.   
  
"Why?" Severus whispered, tears making their way out of his eyes for the first time in years, at the benefit of a six year old boy who was shivering in the cold night, wearing only a nightshirt, being chased by wolves, stumbling into the forest near Hogsmeade. As Samuel tripped, Severus held himself back from grabbing him, it was only a memory, and he was only an observer. Severus watched as Samuel collapsed from exhaustion, fear, hunger, and many other maladies, at the edge of Hogsmeade, right near the Three Broomsticks, a bundle of rags to the unoblivious passerby.   
  
Severus twisted around, sitting up with a start as he was firmly slammed out of Samuel's mind with an harsh shove. Severus sat there for several long moments, staring at the door that led out to the living room, where Samuel would be if he sleepwalked again.   
  
"Samuel, I'm sorry." Severus whispered into the night, as he turned on his side, curling up into a ball and staring up out of his window at the moonlight, which was a sinister ball of light shining down on the boy and the man sleeping in the dungeons fitfully. Severus Snape and Samuel Snape both had reached a new kind of redemption that night, and could begin their lives anew, with one another.   
  
A/N: sorry for the angst and brutality, but I thought it would give Severus a clearer image of his son, and learn how to open himself to his son. After all, Samuel does deserve a good life. 


	11. A trip to Diagon Alley

A/N: thank you so much for all the encouragement!! I think this fanfic might come to an end soon, I don't really know yet, this thing is pretty much writing itself.. shrugs but I'm so glad that the children are so adorable! I'm having so much fun writing about them myself, but from now on I promised myself I would focus on SS/HG, but don't worry, the children won't be left out....too much .  
  
It was two days after his attempt at Legilmency, and Severus found himself at a dilemma. He didn't know what kids wore, and Hermione was the only person he could go to for help without her laughing in his face, since Lupin was too worn out after his change. a few days ago. With a heavy sigh, Severus eyed the worn-out overalls his son was wearing, and made the ultimate sacrifice. He asked Hermione and Holly to accompany him to Diagon Alley, Samuel needed some proper wizard's clothes. The two females had accepted with great enthusasism, glad to get out of the castle and do some shopping.   
  
"I don't think Samuel has ever been outside of an insisution, so we had better keep an close eye on him." Severus said in a soft voice to Hermione, his eyes fastened on his son, who was quietly sitting on the floor, mixing various harmless liquids into one of Severus's cauldrons. Hermione glanced up at Severus, nodding in silent agreement as she smiled at Holly, who was curled up near Samuel, a book in her hands.   
  
"Kids, let's go to Diagon Alley." Hermione said with a bright smile after she and Severus had a quiet moment, contemplating Samuel's history. "Samuel, you had better hold on tight to your daddy's hand while we are in Diagon Alley. We won't want you to get lost."  
  
"What if we get lost?" Holly asked, looking up at her mother. "Shall we go to the Leaky Cauldron?"  
  
"No, if you ever got lost, heaven forbid, I would want you to go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George are Uncle Ron-ron's brothers."  
  
"really? Can we go there?" Samuel asked, hopping up and down in excitement, his hands flying in the air eagerly, his eyes lighting up with glee. Severus frowned as Hermione nodded in excitement. With a heavy sigh, Severus picked up Samuel in his arms and glanced at Hermione as he picked up some Floo powder.   
  
"DIAGON ALLEY!"  
  
Severus was officially lost. He glanced at Hermione, glad she had come along, she was busily chattering away with madam Malkin, as Holly and Samuel explored the shop with gusto, Holly explaining everything to Samuel, whose eyes twinkled with merriment at the novelty of a mannikin.   
  
"Are we done yet?" Severus asked with a sigh, leaning against the counter as he watched Hermione and Madam Malkin pore over diffrent designs for robes for the children.   
  
"No."  
  
"Oh." Severus said with a sigh.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yes?" Hermione asked, turning around with a frown on her lips, annoyed at Severus's whining. He had been such a child ever since they had arrived, and for once, Samuel and Holly had been on their best behaivor.... now that Hermione thought about it, it was too quiet in the store..."Severus, is it just me, or is it too quiet?"  
  
"I was just going to ask you the same thing." Severus said with a frown. Hermione hurriedly paid for the robes, and the couple ran out of Madam Malkin's searching everywhere for a black-haired little boy and a brown-haired know-it-all.   
  
"I am sure Samuel will know what to do. He is an intelligent young boy." Severus said, putting an comforting arm around Hermione, not expecting himself to be so senstive towards her worry. Perhaps it was the fact that his son was missing with her daughter that did it. Either way, Severus was still surprised at the odd behavior he exhibited whenever he was with Hermione. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of the Mistletoe attack a few days ago, Severus thought with narrowed eyes as he and Hermione walked up the street towards the joke shop. The two cretins had better be there, or Voldemort would have seemed like a baby seal compared to the wrath that would be released upon their arrival, Severus thought with narrowed eyes, tightening his grip on Hermione's waist, not noticing the odd looks passerby were giving him, surprised at the fact that the Great Bat of Hogwarts had a willing woman on his arm.  
  
"Fred, have you seen Holly?" Hermione asked as she burst into the store, Severus still holding on to her arm. One of the twins shook his head, while the other shrugged.   
  
"If we see her, we'll let you know, 'Mione. Why don't you have..."  
  
"I don't have time for this! I have to find my son." Severus said with a scowl, remembering the indicents he had seen in Samuel's mind. He hoped that the boy would stay safe with Holly Granger.  
  
"If I know Holly, she would have dragged Samuel over to Flourish and Blott's." Hermione said in a bossy tone, dragging Severus by the arm along with her as the two left in search of the children. They approached the front counter, shoving away several angry customers. "Excuse me, but have you seen a little girl with a deaf little boy?"  
  
"No." the clerk said with a frown on his face. "Now, if you would kindly remove yourself from our store.." Hermione scowled at the clerk as she shoved her way out of Flourish and Blott's, Severus at her side.   
  
"Let's try Quality Quidditch Supplies, I'm sure Samuel would have wanted to go there." Severus said, as he eyed the newest Nimbus model with a gleam in his eye, Hermione following with an exasperated sigh. They didn't find the two children at Quality Quidditch supplies, nor Eyelop's Owl Emporium, Ollivander's, Florean Fortescue's, Zonkos', The Shrieking Shack, or the Three Broomsticks.   
  
"I think they must have gone to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes by now. Let's wait for them there." Hermione said as she leaned against Severus, thoughts of the children running in her mind. "Oh, Severus, I hope they didn't get in trouble."  
  
"What trouble could the two of them get into in Diagon Alley?" Severus thought out loud as he glanced at Hermione with a worried glance, the two halting at the door to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes as they heard pandemonium inside. "Let's go." Severus moaned, shaking his head as he stepped inside, Hermione at his heels.   
  
"MIONE! LET US GO!" the twins shouted, from their frozen stances, upside down on the ceiling, while Samuel was gleefully chasing after several chocolate frogs that had been set loose, oblivious of the firecrackers going off behind him, set off by Remy Lupin, and Holly's gleeful squeals as she was gorging herself on Sugar Quills and other wizarding sweets. An exasperated sigh made its way out of Hermione's throat as she shared a matching scowl with Severus.   
  
"IMMOBILIUS!" Hermione shouted, freezing all of the children in their tracks. Severus managed to get Fred and George off the ceiling, much to their gratitude. Hermione, Fred, George, and Severus all tidied up the shop with a flick of their wands, and conjured up cups of tea, taking a small breather while they could, the children frozen in their places. Holly Granger sitting cross-legged on a counter, Remy Lupin below her on the floor on his knees, leaning forward to light a firework which had been defused by the spell, and Samuel frozen mid-jump to grab at a frozen chocolate frog which had only managed to elude the boy's fingertips.   
  
"I think I shall keep them like this for a while, it is the first time I've heard them this quiet without any trouble." Hermione said with a sigh as Remus Lupin ambled in, his robes scuffed with mud and panting, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.   
  
"I thought I would find him here, I heard screaming."  
  
"Mm-hm, you were right, Remus. Have a cuppa?" one of the weasley twins asked, as the other held up the pot of tea.   
  
"Yes, please. My, Severus, I think it's the first time I've seen them so quiet. How do you do this, Magic?" Remus teased with a laugh as he took a seat, leaning back and eyeing his son. "Now I know who is cleaning up the bathroom for the rest of the week, and it isn't me."  
  
"Could he do the staff bathrooms? Hagrid's plumbing backed up again, and he's resorted to using the staff facilities." Severus asked in a pained voice, wincing at the unfortunate memory of witnessing said giant's presence in the bathroom after dinner a few days ago. Lupin let out a laugh, as Hermione blushed furioiusly.   
  
"Well, Severus and I had better get going, it's nearly time for Samuel's lesson with Professor Clerc, and Holly has volunteered to clean up all the bedpans in the hospital wing, how nice of her." Hermione added with a small laugh, flicking her wand, re-animating the children.   
  
The trip to Hogwarts was taken in silence, after a firm scolding by Hermione, Severus, and Remus Lupin. The trio of children all dragged their feet through the mud, frowns on their faces as they reached the castle, Samuel's the saddest of all, since he had lessons that day with Professor Clerc.   
  
"Have fun, Samuel. During your lessons, Hermione and I are going to have a nice, long discussion about your actions today." Severus said with an icy glare to his small son, who scowled up at him with a fierce determination.   
  
"Remember what I said this morning, Daddy." Samuel firmly signed, his hands sure and quick, a glint in his eye as he was greeted at the doorway of the dungeons by a smiling young man of thirty, who was outfitted with muggle clothes, and had long brown hair put back into a ponytail, and glasses perched on the tip of his nose.   
  
"Thank you for having Samuel on time, Mr. Snape. Today we'll be working on his reading and writing..." Clerc said as he watched Samuel throw himself into a chair with usual childlike stubborness. "..And I think this lesson will be difficult. I hope you and your wife have a nice day." Mr. Clerc added, his hands moving the entire time with smoothness.  
  
"We're actually...." Severus trailed off, but sighed when the door was shut, preventing him from finishing his sentence. "Well, shall we head to my rooms for a discussion?" Severus asked with a sigh, holding out his arm for Hermione, as Holly Granger went off with the Lupins up to the hospital wing for her punishment. Today was going to be a good day, indeed, Severus thought with a small smile on his lips. Let the games begin, Severus thought to himself as he shut the door to his rooms......... 


	12. Let the Games and Nightmares begin!

Severus looked at Hermione, who had taken a seat on her couch, looking up at him expectantly, a light flush on her cheeks. She looked so becoming, sitting there with her sparkling eyes and know it all attidude.   
  
"Hermione, I am grateful for your help with Samuel. I don't know where we would have been without your help." Severus said softly, taking a seat next to Hermione, not meeting her eyes, for fear he would crumble. The woman had no idea how firmly she held him into her grasp, and it was an unnerving thought for him.   
  
"It was nothing, Severus. I would have done the same for any other person." Hermione said with a shake of her head, her brown hair flying as she moved. "I am just glad that I got to know you and Samuel better in the process."  
  
"What would make you want to know me?" Severus replied with a slightly sharp edge to his voice as he brought his eyes up to meet Hermione's, to make sure she had meant every word she said in her next comment. The young woman smiled a soft smile, her eyes shining.   
  
"Once one manages to get past the prickly surface, you're a wonderful man with wonderful ideals and a strong character to yourself. You're Severus Snape." Hermione said softly, her eyes still shining and not moving away from Severus's dark probing eyes.   
  
"Drink?" Severus found himself asking, as Snippy appeared wtih a bottle of wine. "Snippy?" Severus asked carefully, puzzled at where the wine had come from, he never stored wine at all.   
  
"Young Master Samuel said to bring you this when you are with Mistress Granger." Snippy said, shaking in his towel as he laid the bottle of wine into Severus's hands, and set out two wine glasses on a nearby coffee table. Severus's eyes narrowed, Samuel was going to have quite a lecture tomorrow morning. Not saying a word, Severus poured out the wine for Hermione and himself, as Snippy left the room in a hurry, not wanting to stay and annoy Master Severus further.   
  
At their fourth cup of wine, Severus and Hermione were getting rather giddy. Severus was actually smiling, his cheeks slightly flushed with drink.   
  
"Don't stop smiling, Severus... it becomes you." Hermione said suddenly, putting her hand up on his cheek with care. "You look... beautiful." Hermione whispered, a smile on her lips as Severus sat there, frozen.   
  
"I, beautiful? Nay, not I." Severus said in a poetic tone, shaking his head vigorously.   
  
"uh-uh, you are. You're a beautiful man." Hermione whispered, nodding slowly. Hermione then leaned into Severus, nuzzling his cheek. "You're so beautiful, I could snog you."  
  
"Then why don't you?" Severus breathed, his eyes drooping to narrow slits. Hermione drew back, and stared, taking a final swig of wine, throwing her glass into the fireplace, a feral grin on her mouth. "Come here, Sev."  
  
Five minutes later found the two coming for air a third time, fiercely nipping at each other. Severus's hands were wandering, and Hermione was enjoying it very much. A growl escaped Severus's throat as he turned to pin down Hermione to the couch, turning to accomodate himself and pin himself fully on top of Hermione, never once breaking a wild kiss. Hermione squeaked with surprise, but quickly took to the new situation with gusto.   
  
"Mm... Sev....Bed." Hermione whispered, her lips right near Severus's ear. Severus moved himself up, leaning on his elbows, gazing down at Hermione, whose eyes were glazed and hair spread out on the arm of the couch.   
  
"Bed?" Severus said dazedly, not wanting to move off of Hermione. Lightly pressing his lips to Hermione's collarbone, Severus let out a soft breath. "He can't hear us, you know." Hermione said with a sigh, running her fingers through Severus's long hair. Severus looked up at Hermione, contemplating the situation, and glancing at the clock up near the fireplace mantle.   
  
"But quickly." Severus whispered, leaning up to take Hermione into his arms, whisking her off to the master bedroom, where the two quickly shied off their clothing, and leapt onto each other wildly, falling on top of the bed, and quickly diving under the covers, a sly smile on Severus's lips as he took Hermione into his arms, stroking her warm skin with care.   
  
Samuel Snape groaned, he hated writing and reading with a passion, he had decided as he threw his books on the couch and flopping himself down on the couch. Noticing the two wine glasses and empty wine bottle, Samuel smiled to himself, knowing the two had taken his advice. Maybe the little potion he had found in his dad's stores helped things a little bit. Holly Granger had told him all about it, and he knew it was a good idea for his dad.   
  
"Thank you, Finite Amoris Potion." Samuel signed with glee, chuckling as he laid down on the couch, stretching, and drifting off to sleep, with Snippy appearing to clean up the wine glasses and bottle, also to put away Samuel's books in his room.   
  
Samuel found himself chained again, back in the big house where he had been before he escaped to Hogsmeade. He could smell the dirt, and feel the dried blood on his chest and arms. He saw his real Father, the man with blank, empty eyes and no smile.   
  
"Daddy?" Samuel asked, snuffling as he looked up at the shell-like man.   
  
"You are an evil boy, Sirius Ravenwood."  
  
"I'm not Sirius anymore, I'm Samuel Sebastian Snape! Samuel!" Samuel screamed, his voice hoarse and rough. The father leapt out, striking Samuel on his cheek wtih a loud crack. Whimpering, Samuel knew his cheekbone was broken again.   
  
"You're NOT MY DADDY!" Samuel screamed, begging for Severus to come take him. He liked Severus, he was a nice man. "I WANT MY DADDY! DADDY!" Samuel screamed, throwing his head back and thumping his small fists on the dirt, kicking his small legs.   
  
Samuel screamed, high and keening, as he sat up on the couch, hitting the couch with his fists. Slowly but surely, he began to wake up, a sheen of sweat on his face and chest, and he was out of breath. Panting, Samuel whined loudly as he stumbled to his daddy's room, he wanted his good daddy, the daddy who wouldn't hurt him.   
  
"Daddah?" Samuel spoke out, his voice a cracking whine, sniffles punctuating the air as he stood in the doorway, peering into the darkness, clutching to the door frame. "Daddah?" Abadoning all thought of the darkness, Samuel bravely sprinted to the bed, pouncing on the figure sleeping on the bed.   
  
SEVERUS was roughly wakened from his languid sleep by a heavy thump on his hip. Groaning, he grabbed at Hermione by his side.   
  
"Not now.. I need sleep." Severus whispered, shaking the figure straddling him. Wait, that wrist was too small to be Hermione's... and Hermione didn't have such small legs... wait... Severus muttered a few curse words, as he reached for his wand. "Nox". Now he could see in the faint glow of the light that his son had been crying, perhaps a nightmare of sorts. Sniffling, the boy frowned down at him, and then his face changed to one of glee.   
  
"YOU MARRIED HERMIONE! SHES MY MOMMY NOW!" Samuel signed in large signs out of glee, seeing Hermione curled up into Severus's side, her head resting on his shoulder. Severus moaned a moan of defeat, clenching his teeth.   
  
"Samuel, what's the meaning of this?" Severus signed slowly, his hands and arms sore from the passionate lovemaking he had done with Hermione earlier. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I had bad dream. I want you to chase away my daddy." Samuel sniffled, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks yet again. Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy, there was a fresh bruise on his cheek, a ugly red mark. Severus sighed, and nodded as Hermione slowly woke up, distracted by the noise of Samuel's sniffling and whining.  
  
"Severus?.... oh, Samuel." Hermione said, her eyes now wide. "What time is it? oh!" Hermione gasped, her eyes wide at the awareness of how time had sped by.   
  
"Samuel had a bad dream, and he wants to sleep in this bed." Severus said with a frown. "I suppose companionship would be prudent for him."  
  
"Yes, I do the same for Holly. Come on up, Samuel." Hermione said, her hands moving slowly as Samuel smiled, throwing back the sheets and burrowing down in between Severus and Hermione. "You stay with your daddy, and I need to go back to see Holly. I'm sure she has nightmares too."  
  
"Then why can't we all share the bed?" Samuel asked, his hands moving slowly, as his eyes drooped lower in sleep. "I... " Samuel was asleep before he could complete the sentence, nestled in warmth and love for the first time in his short life.   
  
"Well, I had better get going, Severus." Hermione said sadly, a smile on her lips. She hoped they would be the same tomorrow, but what they just did had changed everything, even more now that Samuel had seen them sharing a bed, thankfully, only in sleep.  
  
"All right, Hermione." Severus whispered, as Samuel snuffled loudly, rolling over on his side, sprawling all over the bed. "I suppose Samuel wants to kick you out."  
  
"And I am going." Hermione said with a smile as she got up and dressed herself. Stepping to the floo in the other room, Hermione shook her head with wonder and amazement at the events of the last few hours.   
  
A/N: hope this chapter was ok, and thank you for all of your suggestions and sharp eyes. Yes, there will be MM/AD sometime soon, now that SS/HG is now established.. I think. Anyway, the Finite Amoris potion was just an potion which intensified your true feelings, not allowing anything to be hidden from your significant other.. something like that. Holly and Samuel had Snippy "take care" of the wine.   
  
I PROMISE I WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN!! :-) THANK YOU :-) 


	13. An Wedding Howler

A/N: sorry for the long update. I ran into some problems... ::sigh:: anyway, hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. :)  
  
Holly Granger smiled to herself, she could hear her mother moving around, it was evident she had spent the night with Mr. Snape. A chuckle escaped her with the knowledge that within a few months, she would be Holly Snape, and Mr. Snape her new father, and Samuel her new brother. She rather enjoyed the prospect of having a new family. With a small sigh, Holly rolled over in bed, snuggling up to Crookshanks, who slept with her every night ever since her arrival.   
  
Samuel Snape woke up with a start, his eyes wide. He was in the wrong bed... no, wait, he had crawled into bed with his daddy. Samuel turned, and saw his daddy asleep, his mouth open and drool coming out of it. Samuel giggled, he was so funny-looking, especially with that messed-up hair. If he looked like that every morning, no wonder Miss Mione had left last night. Scurrying out of bed, Samuel turned one last time to look at his father with a smile, confident that he would have a new mother and new sister within a few months.   
  
His head buzzing, and a odd aftertaste in his mouth, Severus groaned as he tried to sit up in bed, and sighed. Glancing over to where Hermione had slept the previous night, he slowly shook his head in wonder. How in the world had they consummated their relationship so wantonly like that, with Samuel due any moment? There had to be an unnatural factor in that equation, Severus thought as he padded over to the bathroom, grateful that Samuel had fallen asleep nearly right away, giving him enough time to slip out and pull on a pair of pyjama bottoms and slip back in bed, without Samuel noticing too much.   
  
"Samuel?" Severus called out, as he left the bathroom, and shook his head, remembering the boy was deaf. Finally finding Samuel sitting on the couch, Severus sat down next to the boy. Realization dawning upon his face, Severus glanced at the knowing expression on the boy's face.   
  
"You did this, didn't you?" Severus asked, a frown on his lips. "How did you do this?" Severus asked, angry that his son had connived and decieved him into bed with Hermione, and the boy wasn't supposed to know things of that senstive nature. Samuel looked up at Severus, his eyes large and pleading.   
  
"You love her. She loves you. I think you needed a push, Daddy. You pusshed me, and it was good for me. I thought you needed a push. Can I go see Grandpa Albus now?"  
  
"What, he's got you calling him Grandpa?"  
  
"Yes. He's nice and old, like a grandpa. He likes me." Samuel said with a wide grin on his lips. "I like his candy." Samuel added as he rose off of the couch, a strap of his overalls hanging off his shoulder and slapping Severus in the face as Samuel twirled around quickly to run out of the room. His cheek stinging, Severus sighed, shaking his head. The boy. He'd send the boy an Howler if he could...   
  
Severus turned at the sound of shouting as he emerged from his quarters in search for Albus and Samuel. His ears were greeted with shouting.  
  
"HOLLY MINERVA GRANGER, HOW COULD YOU? YOU MANIPULATED TWO PEOPLE TWOARDS EACH OTHER, AND POSSIBLY COULD HAVE POISONED AND MURDERED US! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOUNG LADY?! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH MEDDLING FROM MINERVA AND ALBUS, I CERTAINLY DO NOT NEED IT FROM MY OWN DAUGHTER AND HER BEST FRIENDS!"   
  
Silence soon followed, and the only sound after that, Severus could hear, were the chirping of crickets outside the hogwarts gates. Somehow, the Howler Hermione had sent to Holly had silenced the entire castle, which was a feat upon itself. Shaking his head, Severus continued on his way to find Albus and Samuel.   
  
"Daddy!" Samuel signed, his hands flying quickly as Severus entered Albus's office. "I told Grandpa about you and Miss Mione getting married, and he said yes, he can do it! please, can it be today? Holly, Remy and me can go. Please? Please? Remy said he can come and his daddy is coming, too. The whole castle is coming!"  
  
"What?" Severus asked, his mouth slightly open in surprise, caught off-guard by Samuels' incesstant badgering and Albus's annoying smug smile as he sucked on his infernal lemon drops.   
  
"I explained to young Samuel that if you and Hermione wished to be wed, I would be willing to officiate the ceremony. Minerva's sent out all of the neccescarry invitations, and everyone has accepted, and the ceremony can be done tonight in the Great ...."  
  
"Grandpa!" two small children shouted, running into the room. Remy and Holly both grinned up at Albus, their eyes bright. "my Daddy and her mummy said that we can go to the wedding."  
  
"Wait, Hermione said yes to the wedding?" Severus asked, his eyes wide, never expecting Hermione to consent to marriage. This was moving entirely too quickly, but if she was willing, so was he...  
  
"If she actually said yes...?" Severus asked, before he could censor himself. Merlin, having a child really had sofetened him up, and he had lost most of his skills that he had acquired from years of spying. Albus twinkled up at him, as well as the three children, theire eyes bright and expectant.   
  
"Very well. Albus, I consent. I will see you tonight."  
  
A/N: Again, SORRY about the delay.. ::sighs:: after this, I'll be back on the right track. Tee-hee, this chapter just was begging to be written. THANK YOU to ALL of you who read/reviewed! I love you all, and love your suggestions, they do help.. 


	14. A Hogwarts Wedding

A/N: this chapter's written in a new style, kind of like a countdown to the wedding.. thought I would try something new.   
  
3:00 PM, DUNGEONS  
  
"Samuel! get in the bath!" Severus shouted, spittle flowing from his mouth as his hands thumped viciously in sign language, the boy shaking his head up at Severus.   
  
"No, no, and no, Daddy! You can't make me!"  
  
"Oh yeah?" Severus shouted, gripping his wand and scowling down at the boy, pointing the wand down at him. Samuel's eyes widened, and he immediately quieted down and sulked into the bath. Severus sighed, now he only had to wrestle Samuel into his formal robes. After all, he was going to be best man, along with Remus Lupin, the only other man he could contact in such short notice....  
  
3:15 PM, DUNGEONS...again.   
  
"SAMUEL SEBASTIAN SNAPE!" Severus hollered, as he was greeted by a wave of water, soaking him to the bones. "GET OUT OF THE BATH!"  
  
"No. You told me to get in, and I did."  
  
"Samuel..." Severus scowled, glaring down at his boy, wrapped into a black fluffy towel. Severus tried his best to look threatening, but who could, after looking like a drowned rat?  
  
4:00 PM, GRANGER's ROOMS  
  
"Mommy, stop pacing.. you'll be fine." Holly said as she rolled her eyes and handed her mother a hair ribbon. "Can you do my hair pretty, like yours? I want to be pretty like you."  
  
"Yes, of course, Holly." Hermione said as she pulled her daughter up on her bed, and began plaiting Holly's deep brown hair, humming a lovely song.   
  
"Mummy? can I wear overalls like Samuel?"  
  
"No, honey. you'll look outrageous. Plus, I don't think Severus will allow Samuel to wear overalls to the wedding." Hermione said with a shake of her head as Remy Lupin and Lupin senior bounced into the room, along with Minerva McGonagall, the two of them carrying large packages, and Remy carrying a bag.   
  
"Miss Mione, Daddy, can I go see Samuel? I don't want to be with girls."  
  
"Are you calling me a girl?" Remus Lupin asked, fake horror on his face. Remy shook his head. Remus laughed and nodded, letting Remy go ahead and find Samuel. After all, Severus could manage the two boys... couldn't he?  
  
5:00 PM, DUNGEONS  
  
"Daddy, can Remy and I go to the Great Hall? We're bored." Remy's voice rang out from the other room as Severus had just begun his shower.  
  
"Heaven forbid that you get bored, Samuel." Severus remarked dryly after listening to Remy's translation of Samuel's words, since he was locked up into the bathroom, leaving the boys in Samuel's room. "Tell Samuel that I said both of you must remain spotless and in his room until seven o' clock, and then at that time, Iwill escort BOTH of you to the wedding."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Snape." Remy said with a sigh. Severus shook his head and began shampooing his hair, hoping that his hair wouldn't be as greasy as it usually was, at least, for tonight. After all, it was his wedding...  
  
5:15 PM, GREAT HALL  
  
"Bramwell! you stop it!" Filch hollered as Remy, Samuel, and Bramwell all ran amok, chasing Mrs. Norris, who had a large pink bow on her.   
  
"Daddy, we just want to charm her so she has a Slytherin bow on her. She looks ugly in pink." Bramwell remarked as he tripped over Samuel, who had abruptly stopped in his tracks, glancing up at the clock. "Ow! Samuel!"  
  
"Remy, we have to get back.. Daddy'll be fininshed with his shower by now and he will find his wand gone and get all mad... again." Samuel signed as he managed to get Remy's attention, signing gingerly, since he had several scratches on hsi arms and face from Mrs. Norris.   
  
"You dratted kids!" Filch hollered after them, as Remy and Samuel bounded down to the dungeons in a rush, hoping to get to the dungeons in time, with Mrs. Norris at their heels, yowling angrily, along with Fang, who had joined the fun with the arrival of Rubeus and Emma Hagrid.   
  
6:00 PM, GRANGER'S ROOMS  
  
"Mommy, I'm so bored. Can I please, please, please go see Samuel and Remy? after all, Samuel's going to be my brother."  
  
"No. You'll get in trouble. Those two.. honestly." Hermione said with a shake of her head. "They're worse than your uncles." Hermione said as she bustled out of her room, her dress flowing after her. "Now, what do you think? is it good?"  
  
"Oh! you look beautiful, Mommy!" Holly said, but was interrupted by an strange howl or yell coming from outside. Remus hurried to the door as Hermione disappeared into the bathroom, just in case it was Severus coming by.   
  
"Yes?" Remus asked as he opened the door, only to be faced with two scratched-up boys, covered in dog drool from Fang, and their clothes filthy and ragged.   
  
"Daddy, I think Mr. Snape's really mad.. and I don't want to go down there again. Samuel's with me, because when Mr. Snape saw Samuel, he just turned all purple and started spitting all over the place.. I can't even spell all those words he said, but I'm sure they were bad." Samuel said, remembering how, upon their arrival, Severus Snape had swore a blue streak at the boys, in absolute anger, his hair dripping wet and clad in a black silk dressing gown.  
  
"Come on in, boys. What have you been doing down there, anyway?" Remus asked as he flicked his wand, cleaning up the boys with a useful cleaning spell. Samuel smiled and his hands began flying in sign language, excitedly informing Remus of his adventures with Remy.   
  
"Uh-uh.. that's amazing. I'm surprised you haven't lost points through your fifth year at Hogwarts already." Remus remarked dryly. He and Hermione had quite the task ahead of them: taming two boys in time for the wedding in only a hour...   
  
6:45 PM, GREAT HALL  
  
"Where are they, blasted kids? they're supposed to be here early, and if they're romping the castle..."  
  
"Calm down, Severus. I'm sure Remus is taking good care of them. After all, the wedding doesn't start until seven o' clock."  
  
"Albus.." Severus said in a dangerous whisper. Albus then remained quiet, watching the young man beside him with a twinkle in his eye. He knew their union would be eventual and joyous, and he envied the young couple, they would have many adventures, upon which he and Minerva had missed out for so many years. Glancing over at Minerva, Albus smiled a small smile, his eyes twinkling at the woman, flanked by her daughter and his son, looking regal in the wedding attire as Hermione's maid of Honor. Perhaps, just perhaps, Minerva would look lovely in a wedding dress sometime soon.  
  
7:03 PM, GREAT HALL  
  
BANG. The doors to the Great Hall flew open, and the two boys rushed up the aisle, panting and grinning big grins. They took their places by Severus, grinning up at Severus with angelic faces, which Severus would not believe in an instant. Leaning down to Remy, he hissed in his ear about the whereabouts of Hermione.   
  
"Don't worry.. Daddy and Miss Mione are coming. They were just behind us." Remy said, knowing better than to say that he and Samuel had addicentically hexed her dress with Severus's wand, which Samuel still held in the sleeve of his dress robes. He wouldn't want Mr. Snape to get angry and red again, he didn't like being covered with spit, even if it was from a man as cool as Mr. Snape.  
  
7:05 PM, GREAT HALL  
  
"Severus!" Hermione called out as she entered the Great Hall on the arm of Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin scurrying ahead of her to take his place by Severus. The wedding was finally on, and the ceremony could proceed. Hermione looked radiant in emerald green dress robes, a muggle dress underneath, which made her look all the more alluring, Severus thought with a smile as Hermione proceeded up the aisle, Arthur Weasley handing her to Severus.   
  
The couple faced Albus Dumbledore, love shining in their eyes. For once, all of the children were silent, gravely watching the proceedings with eagerness in their eyes. Albus held his arms out, and began the wedding procedures.   
  
"Do you, Lord Severus Salazar Snape, take this witch, Hermione Jane Granger, to be your wedded wife for all eternity, as Lady Hermione Jane Snape?"  
  
"I do." Severus said in a silky whisper, barelly loud enough for the sound of his voice to reach the guests.   
  
"Do you, Hermione Jane Granger, take this wizard, Lord Severus Salazar Snape, to be your wedded husband for all eternity, as Lord Severus Salazar Snape?"  
  
"I do."   
  
"Lord Severus Salazar Sanpe, do you love this woman with all of your heart, and will you strive to bring completeness to her soul as her soulmate through enternity?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Hermione Jane Granger, do you love this man with all of your heart, and will you strive to bring completeness to his soul, as his soulmate through eternity?"  
  
"I do."   
  
"Samuel Sebastian Snape, do you take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawful mother, and Holly Minerva Granger to be your lawful sister?"  
  
"Y... Yehzz." Samuel said with a small voice, rough with disuse, his stance tall and proud, a look of pride aimed at his father, whose eyes had widened in surprise at the sound of his son's voice. A small smile flicked across his mouth, meant for his son's eyes only, and the two shared a private rejoicing moment, until they were interrupted by the sound of Albus's voice, and the motion of Albus's hands as he moved them to join Severus's and Hermione's hands together.   
  
"Holly Minerva Granger, do you take Severus Salazar Snape to be your lawful father, and Samuel Sebastian Snape to be your lawful brother?"  
  
"Yes, I do." Holly said as she grinned mischievously up at Severus, who shuddered at the prospect of having two mischievous children in his household. Heaven help him, Severus thought as he turned his attention back to Albus.  
  
"Then in the eyes of both worlds, wizarding and Muggle, with this exchange of rings, I prounounce you man and wife, Witch and wizard, and Soulmates through Eternity. You may kiss your lawful wife, Severus, and welcome your new daughter." Albus said with a smile as Severus slipped a silver band with a deep blue sapphire cut into a claddagh upon Hermione's ring finger, and Hermione slipped a sliver band with the same claddagh, upon Severus's ring finger.   
  
"I love you." Severus whispered into Hermione's ear, as he leaned down to kiss her fully on the mouth, conveying promise that their life would be a good, full, adventurous life together. As the kiss parted, applause rang out through the small assembly of guests, all of them smiling large grins, and a good portion of the women weeping openly, who wept harder as Severus swung Holly into his arms, giving her a warm hug.   
  
"Silly girl." Severus whispered into Holly's ear as she giggled, giving Severus a hug.   
  
"I love you, Daddy." Holly said as Severus put her back down. Samuel then hugged Hermione, glad he had a new life, a new family, and he knew deep down in his heart, it was all going to be a good life.   
  
"May I present to the world, Lord and Lady Snape, with their children, Samuel and Holly Snape. The Snape family." Albus said in a booming voice as the family slowly made their way down the aisle, with Remus and Remy trailing after them, both of them sporting broad grins on their lips.   
  
"Minerva, I daresay this was one of the best cremonies ever." Albus whispered to Minerva as he watched the Snapes leave the Great Hall. "Although, I do know one ceremony that could top this one."  
  
"What, pray tell, could be better than Severus getting married? that boy's been waiting years to find someone." Minerva said in surprise, glancing up at Albus with puzzlement in her eyes.   
  
"Dear woman, it would have been better if it was our own wedding." Albus said with a smile as he took Minerva by the arm and escorted her out of the Great Hall, amused that he had rendered her speechless yet again. Hale and Erin both shared knowing glances as they trailed after their parents, shaking their heads.   
  
A/N: hope this chapter was okay?? I love your reviews, and please do keep them coming. A question, though. For the sequel I'm planning to write about the children, I don't know when that will be up, but I do know one will be written. Just wondering, who would you like to see the childre paired up with? obviously, Samuel and Holly can't be paired up, but.. ::shrugs:: any suggestions, anyway? THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS/REVIEWERS!!!!! 


	15. Life is Good

A/N: THANK YOU for all of your suggestions! I took all of them in consideration, but I am sorry to inform you that Samuel & Holly will not be paired.. sorry, but it just squicks me a bit. ::shrugs:: plus, I have other ideas for Samuel..  
  
SIX MONTHS LATER-- (sorry, no wedding night.. but it has happened..)  
  
"Hermione, where's Samuel's hearing aid?" Severus asked, holding Samuel by the straps of his famous overalls, ensuing he wouldn't run from him. Hremione turned from braiding Holly's hair and pointed to the shelf. "Accio hearing aid." Severus said sharply with a wave of his wand as the hearing aid flew to his hand.   
  
"No! No! No!" Samuel hollered, shaking his head, using the right to vocalize loudly. Severus held on to his son, scowling as he put in the hearing aid, turning it on, and charming the hearing aid so Samuel couldn't take it off. "I hate you, Daddy!" Samuel signed fiercely as he scowled up at his father, rubbing his ear and adjusting the hearing aid to the proper volume.   
  
"You know that wearing your hearing aid is the only way you can hear some sounds and protect yourself, Samuel. You do want to use magic and say those spells, don't you?"  
  
"Ya-uh." Samuel meekly replied, his eyes flashing as he slunk away towards Remy Lupin, who had his broom over his shoulder. "I'm going Flying with Remy." Samuel signed before he picked up his broom from the floor.  
  
"Both of you be back in a hour, or I am sending peeves and the Bloody Baron after you." Severus replied cooly as he arched an eyebrow to both of the boys standing in the doorway with their brooms. Samuel nodded and got on his broom, zooming down the corridor and out of Hogwarts, Remy at his heels.   
  
"Mommy, can you move over? your tummy's poking me and I want my hair to look pretty for the wedding. Can't Daddy do it?"  
  
"Oh, and I can't, because I'm as big as one of Hagrid's hippogriffs?" Hermione remarked, close to tears as she flung down the white hair ribbon. "Well, run to your daddy, I'm sure he'll do a good job." Hermione said with a frown on her lips as she rose from her seat, a hand draped over her round stomach as she went into the bedroom to get herself dressed for the wedding.   
  
"Daddy.. can you braid my hair?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Please? Or a Ponytail?"  
  
"Fine, only a ponytail." Severus replied with a sigh, hating how he was wound around his little girl's little finger as he picked up the ribbon and tied up her hair with the grace and speed of a professional. "Here you go. Don't get mussed, because I can't deal with TWO messy children."  
  
"I'm going to play dolls with Emma, Erin, Mary-Kate wood, and Moira Weasley." Holly replied, rattling off the names of the children of the guests to the wedding. "They're bored waiting for the wedding to start already." Holly replied as she skipped away, with several dolls in her arms. Severus shook his head, partially grateful he had two independent children, but wished they weren't so troublesome.  
  
"Hermione?" Severus asked as he headed into the bedroom, finding Hermione dressed in her dress robes, and sitting on the bed, staring at the mirror near the bathroom door. "You look wondrous."  
  
"Humongous, more likely."  
  
"Don't knock it, love." Severus replied smoothly as he sat by Hermione, slipping his arm around Hermione's waist and kissing her slowly and leisurely. The kiss soon turned deep and heated. "Love, we should ... stop, if you don't want your robes messed up."  
  
"Hmm?" Hermione murmured into Severus's lips, not caring what he said, as long as he didn't stop doing what he was doing. "Shut up and kiss me."  
  
"Point taken, never argue with a pregnant woman." Severus sighed, as the two lowered themselves to the bed, enjoying the peace and quiet in the rooms, with both of the children gone somewhere in the castle, amusing themselves with their friends.  
  
"Where's Severus and Hermione? Severus is supposed to stand for me, as well as Remus Senior." Albus said as he stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in royal purple robes. "Mr. Malfoy..?"  
  
"I'm not going in there, not for a million galleons." Draco replied, shaking his head viciously as he grabbed his ten year old son, Harlequinn. "Harley, why don't you go down to the dungeons and...?"  
  
"No!" Harlequinn replied, his black eyes wide and white-blond hair flying as he shook his head fiercely.  
  
"Very well, I'm going." Remus said with an exasperated sigh. "All of you are such babies. Worse than my Remy."  
  
"Hey!" Remy replied as he, Samuel, and Holly got up to follow Remy down to the dungeons.  
  
Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Samuel Snape, Holly Snape, Remy Lupin, Harlequinn Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy all walked down to the dungeons, Severus and Hermione were an half hour late for the wedding, and no one wanted to wait any longer, especially since the children were getting antsy, and everyone knew what chaos came when the children were bored.   
  
"Severus?" Remus asked as he knocked on the door. "Hermione? We're waiting on you." There was no reply, and Remus glanced over to Dumbledore. "Well?"  
  
"I don't want to go in, not if.."  
  
"They won't, she's six months pregnant." Draco said. "She looks like a baby hippogriff."  
  
"Shut up, Drakkey, that's my mother!" Holly Snape replied, stomping on Draco's boot-clad foot, bringing tears to his eyes.   
  
"Hey! that's my daddy!" Harley said as he scowled down at Holly. Minerva McGonagall stepped in between of the two children and shot a icy glare at Albus.   
  
"Albus... it's now or never. I want to get married. Now."  
  
"Yes, dear."   
  
BAM.  
  
"OH GOD!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"Cover your eyes!" Remus shouted, grabbing Remy.  
  
"So that's what a baby hi..." Harlequinn said before he was bopped by Draco and Holly.  
  
"I told them you were..." Samuel signed, as Remy Lupin giggled, and Remus Lupin nudged him to shut him up.   
  
"Uh... the wedding's been held up for an half hour.. could you finish up and .. um, head on up? yes, that would be nice. Let's go Albus.. I think we've seen more than enough. Let's go children, go on."  
  
The door to the Great Hall creaked open, and Severus and Hermione quickly made their way into the Great Hall silently, standing by Albus and Minerva, both blushing profusely. It had been embarassing enough that Albus and Minerva had caught them in flagarante Delicto, but did it have to be when they were having their post-coital meal in the nude? Well, it could have been worse, they could at least have been in the act, Hermione thought with a blush as she stood near Minerva, holding Holly's and Erin's hands.  
  
"I prounounce you Husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride, Albus." Draco said, bowing his head and smiling. "I now present to you, for the first time, Albus and Minerva Dumbledore, Hale and Erin Dumbledore." Draco said with a sweep of his arm as Erin and Hale led the procession down the aisle, both sniggering about the recent events that trasnpired down in the dungeons.   
  
"Oh, Albus.. I'm so glad that you listened to me, but did you really have to burst in on them?" Minerva asked as she walked down the aisle on Albus's arm.   
  
"Well, I was eager to get married and begin on our own festivities already. We're not getting any younger, and those two have the rest of their lives to eat." Albus said quietly, glancing at a red-faced Severus and a blushing Hermione, with Samuel and Holly sniggering, along with Harley and Remy, making jokes about dinnertime.  
  
THREE MONTHS LATER  
  
"Albus?"  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Snape?"  
  
"Could I go to the hospital wing? I think I'm in labor."  
  
Hours later, Severus Snape collapsed into his chair by Hermione's bedside, wondering why babies took so long to enter the world. A yawn shook him awake, and he glanced over to Hermione and Poppy.   
  
"Finally, ten centimeters. Thank God, now you can push. Let's go Severus." Poppy said with a sigh, glad that it was finally nearly over. Hermione and Severus both buckled down, and helped their child enter the wold with a loud yell, amazingly enough, sounding just like Severus in one of his temper tantrums.   
  
"oh... it's a beautiful, gorgeous little girl...." Poppy cooed, as the baby shrieked, flailing her arms and legs. "Just like our potions-master."  
  
"Shut up Poppy, and hand me my daughter." Severus snapped, as Poppy shook her head and handed him his daughter. As soon as the baby was laid into Severus's arms, quiet echoed around the ward, and everyone's eyes rested on the Bat of the Dungeons holding a little girl, who curled up to him, happily gurgling up at him.   
  
Life was good, Severus thought with a smile as he waved in his two other children, who looked down at the little girl with intrest.   
  
"Daddah?" Samuel asked, using his new voice, nasal and annoying, but much better now that he had made use of his hearing aids and started speech lessons.   
  
"Yes, Samuel?"  
  
"...What is her name?" Samuel asked, his hands moving slowly and tenderly as his eyes met Severus's. Severus smiled and glanced over at Hermione as he handed the little girl to his wife.   
  
"It's up to Hermione."  
  
"How about Alice?"  
  
"Alice?" Severus asked, pulling a sour face. "Isn't she... a Longbottom?"  
  
"A brave woman, Severus. A brave woman, like our little girl here."  
  
"Alice. Alice Narcissa Snape."  
  
Yes, Life truly was good.  
  
the END  
  
A/N: since this is the end, hope it was a good story. :) The sequel should be up by next week, god willing. THANK YOU for ALL of you who read/reviewed. ::glomps:: 


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